Genk vs Charleroi prediction, H2H and probable lineups – 17 September 2025
On Wednesday, September 17, at 20:30 Central European Time, Genk will host Charleroi in the fifth round of the Belgian Championship. Here’s my bet on goals for this match.
Key facts and head-to-head history
- At least three goals have been scored in five of Genk’s last six matches
- The "both teams to score" bet has landed in Genk’s last eight games
- Charleroi are unbeaten in their last three matches.
- In the last five meetings between these teams, the home side has dominated: Genk have won five times, there have been four draws, and Charleroi have managed just one win
- Charleroi have failed to beat Genk in their last nine head-to-head encounters
Match preview
Genk finished third in the Belgian Championship 2024/25. The team looked confident throughout the season, but dropped too many points at the end and were unable to compete for the title.
This season, Thorsten Fink’s squad has been inconsistent: after six rounds, Genk have just two wins, two draws, and two losses. As a result, the team from the city of the same name sits only 10th in the table. In their last match, Genk managed to snatch a draw at the death, so Fink’s men approach the clash with Charleroi in relatively good spirits.
Genk will begin their Europa League campaign at the end of September, so for now, their focus is firmly on the domestic league, where they will have a chance to improve their position.
Charleroi had a fairly average campaign last season, finishing 10th in the league, but still earned a spot in the European qualifiers, where Rik De Mil’s side were knocked out in the second qualifying round by Sweden’s Hammarby.
The start of the new Belgian league campaign has been kinder to Charleroi than to Genk. The team has collected 9 points and sits seventh in the standings. In the last few rounds, the "Zebras" have notched two straight wins – 3:1 against Dender and 3:2 over Cercle Brugge.
The main attacking threat for the visitors is winger Parfait Guiagon. The Ivorian has already netted three goals and is in top form.
Probable lineups
- Genk: Laval – El Wahdi, Sadick, Smets, Ditu – Bangura, Heynen, Karetsas – Stojkers, Ito, O
- Charleroi: Delavali – Van der Kerkhof, Usou, Keita, Nzita – Titraoui, Camara, Romsos – Pflücke, Guiagon – Schneider
Prediction
I expect this match to be high-scoring. Genk games rarely go otherwise: the team boasts a strong attack but often makes mistakes at the back. Charleroi are in a similar situation, with plenty of goals scored—thanks in no small part to their sharpshooter Guiagon. So the optimal bet is on over 2.5 goals at odds of 1.7.
