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Ahead of the new Belgian Pro League campaign, new boys Westerlo will host Gent at the Het Kuipje on Friday in a friendly.
Westerlo secured promotion to the top flight last season despite a shaky conclusion to their campaign. After a poor 2020-21 campaign that saw them finish nine points behind the playoff spots, the Kemphanen appointed Jonas De Roeck. He led them to their highest points tally in the league in eight years, securing top-flight football.
Westerlo have already begun their preseason campaign, beating the City Pirates 11-0 in a friendly last weekend. They have other friendly clashes scheduled, including a trip to the Netherlands, where they will face AZ Alkmaar next month.
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Meanwhile, Gent's major highlight of the 2021-22 campaign was their Belgian Cup triumph where they beat Anderlecht on penalties in the final after the game ended goalless in regulation time. They had mixed results in the league, failing to qualify for the Championship Round for a second straight season.
The Buffalos will hope for a stronger campaign next season and will begin their preparations with Friday's game before facing Hadjuk Split and Midtjylland.
Westerlo vs Gent Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been 32 meetings between Westerlo and Gent. The hosts have won nine of those games, while Gent have won 14.
- There have been nine draws between the two teams, including their most recent matchup, which ended goalless.
- Gent are undefeated in their last 11 games in this fixture, a run dating back to January 2010.
- The Kemphanen have lost just two league games on home turf in the last two seasons after losing five in the season before that.
- Gent scored at least one goal in their final 15 league games of the recently concluded season.
- The Buffalos scored 56 goals in the regular season. Only 19 of them came on away turf, though.
Westerlo vs Gent Prediction
Westerlo ended their campaign with just two wins in their final six games. They have, however, shown solidity on home turf in recent seasons. They went undefeated in their last four home games, losing just one league game at the Het Kuipje all season.
Gent, meanwhile, picked up five wins in their final six league games last season and lost just two of their last ten. They have not lost a domestic away game all year and should come out on top on Friday.
Prediction: Westerlo 1-2 Gent.
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Westerlo vs Gent Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Gent.
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: YES (Both teams have found the back of the net in their last three meetings).
Tip 3 - Westerlo to score first: YES (The hosts have scored the first goal in four of their last five games).
