Read our prediction for Eupen vs Waasland-Beveren below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between Eupen vs Waasland-Beveren and you can increase your winnings!
Eupen vs Waasland-Beveren Prediction & Betting tips
After two match days, we immediately have a very important game to choose. On Saturday evening, Eupen and Waasland-Beveren compete against each other in a duel between the perhaps two biggest relegation candidates. A – let’s say – six point duel, already. Both teams were unable to gather points and both of them already had many goals. Who knows how to keep the other team at a distance?
Eupen:
Bernat San José has to try to do just as well or better than Claude Makélélé who last year managed to easily keep Eupen in First Division. Not an easy task, on the contrary, if you know that Eupen has to fight against relegation every year and that this year will also be no different. After two match days it is on zero points and has already scored ten goals. It could score twice. Last week it visited KAA Ghent.
The home team didn’t let it grow in their own Ghelamco Arena. After less than ten minutes, Gent was already comfortable leading 2-0 thanks to two header goals from Plastoen and Ngadeu, both out of corner. For a moment, Eupen seemed able to do something in return, when a nice free kick by Laurent hit the post, but that was also the only thing the visitors managed to achieve before the break. After that, it was already AA Ghent that set the tone, with smooth actions over the flanks and opportunities for, among others, Asare and Verstraete. After half an hour it was up to Bezoes to further increase the score. He headed on a pass from Lustig the 3-0 past goalkeeper De Wolf, who did not have a nice debut at Eupen. Even before the break it was completely over and closing for Eupen. Blondelle got the ball to his arm in an attempt by Jaremchuk. The Ukrainian took the penalty himself and sent Ghent into the dressing room with a 4-0 bonus. In a superfluous second half, Eupen tried to make something of it. After five minutes, Kaminski was actually put to work, when Bautista was able to play after a slipper from Ngadeu. Kaminski had to give in on the hour. Toyokawa curled a corner on the crown of Blondelle, who nodded the leader in the corner. Twenty minutes before the end, the home crowd cheered again – not for a goal this time, but for a substitution: Laurent Depoitre made his comeback before the Ghent crowd with loud cheers. The champion maker of the 2014-2015 season did not score anymore, but David and again Bezoes did, always on the instructions of Castro-Montes (ex-Eupen). For example, an entertaining party finished 6-1. Ghent can go to Cyprus with confidence, Eupen has to worry.
San José couldn’t help but see how his team lost the game very quickly; “If you get two corners against such strong teams in the first ten minutes, you make it very difficult for yourself. We were clearly not defensively strong enough, but that is my responsibility. After the break we were better and we also created opportunities. We need to rely on that and continue to work on it. We are building a new team with many new players. But that should not be an excuse, because the competition has begun. ”
Waasland-Beveren:
The same story applies to Waasland-Beveren as to Eupen. Annually compete to avoid relegation as well as start with zero points. They, too, were able to score twice, but had already scored seven goals. Without too many reinforcements, rather weakened by outgoing transfers, it seems that Waasland-Beveren will dangle the whole season. Last week it visited Antwerp.
The start of the match was a copy of the scenario of the 1st day of play. Just like in Eupen, Dieumerci Mbokani opened the score after 3 minutes. After a nice cross – outside on the left – of the bustling Hairemans, the Congolese pushed in close to 1-0. Antwerp alternated moments of good football with sloppy play and that gave Waasland-Beveren the chance to grow in the game, even though the home team’s counter-bumps remained very dangerous. At half an hour the ball hit the spot after alleged hands of Vukotic, who got a ball full of Hairemans in the face. The VAR urged ref Boucaut to view the images, but even after the repeat, the game leader remained at his position. Moreover, he also showed his yellow card to an injured Vukotic. Refaelov didn’t let it all come to his heart and popped the eleven-meter in the net with a panenka. In the end of the 1st half, Waasland-Beveren was rewarded for his good intentions. Young Matthias Verreth, taken away from PSV, made the connection goal with half a volley. The 2-1 came at a good time for the visitors, but the hope that Waasland-Beveren might have cherished was immediately suppressed early in the 2nd half. Mbokani found Buta with his shredder, who shook off two defenders and poked the 3-1 against the net. That goal turned out to be the death knell for Waasland-Beveren, which despite all the good will could not prepare too much anymore. Antwerp was able to play the game in savings mode and twenty minutes before the end Mbokani cheered the fans a fourth time with his second goal of the evening. Thanks to the 4-1 win, Antwerp nestles in a leading group of five teams that still have the maximum after two match days. Waasland-Beveren is in the back of the pack with zero in six.
Adnan Custovic immediately took conclusions and knows that next Saturday’s game will be enormously important; “We played a good first half. We did well with Antwerp and even got them into trouble in the first minute. I don’t know if it was a penalty or not, but okay, the VAR says yes. We’ll come in again the match and then simply give it away through defensive fumbling. That third goal was absolutely avoidable, then it was over. The match against Eupen is already very important, we have to grab points as quickly as possible. ”
Eupen vs Waasland-Beveren head to head matches
02.12.18 JL Eupen Waasland-Beveren 1 : 0
15.09.18 JL Waasland-Beveren Eupen 0 : 0
26.12.17 JL Eupen Waasland-Beveren 1 : 0
29.11.17 CUP Waasland-Beveren Eupen 2 : 0
09.09.17 JL Waasland-Beveren Eupen 5 : 1