Maccabi Haifa – Gent : Preview & Prediction
Ligat Ha’al leaders Maccabi Haifa have won their last two home matches as part of a run of just two defeats in their last 20 appearances in all competitions (G14, E4). As they attempt to reach the Round of 16 of a European competition for the first time since 2006/07, they should be confident heading into the first leg of this UEFA Europa Conference League playoff round against Gent.
Messay Dego’s side were relegated to UEFA’s third tier competition after finishing third in their UEFA Europa League group, where they accumulated five points from six games (G1, E2, P3).
Unsurprisingly, their group stage campaign was indifferent given that it was played during the conflict in Israel, and as was the case in their second and third “home” matches of the group stage (E1, P1), Maccabi Haifa does not have home advantage during this tie, which will kick off on neutral territory at the Bozsik Stadion in Budapest.
This could be good news for Gent, who have won only one away game in the round of 16 of a European competition this century (E2, P5) and at least they will not have to deal with a big rival crowd. “The Buffaloes” arrive in Hungary on the back of a 2-0 loss to Cercle Brugge at the weekend, their sixth game without a win (E1, P5), and that tricky current situation has left coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck wondering whether to “rest the players” and “go to Europe with the youngsters” as he prioritizes maintaining their top-six league position.
Perhaps a return to the Conference League is what Gent needs to get back on track. Prior to their recent troubles in the Belgian Pro League, they had enjoyed an excellent European campaign in which they achieved their best points haul in the group stage for a UEFA competition (13; G4, E1, P1). As a result, they are now attempting to reach the Round of 16 of this tournament for the third consecutive year.
Players to watch: Maccabi Haifa striker Frantzdy Pierrot has not lost a match in which he has scored since April 2019 (G40, E8). Who will be looking to surpass him will be Gent’s Tarik Tissoudali, who has seen ten of his last 13 goals serve as the first or last of the match.
Standout Fact: In only two of Maccabi Haifa’s last eight European matches have both teams scored on the day.
Maccabi Haifa – Gent : Betting Tips
Maccabi Haifa – Win Odds: 2.25
