The Europa Conference League knockout round playoff tie between Real Betis and Gent is set to conclude on Thursday, with the Spanish hosts holding a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg. Betis, led by manager Manuel Pellegrini, put in a dominant display in Belgium, with Manchester United loanee Antony scoring one of the goals, and will be looking to protect their advantage and advance to the last 16. Gent, on the other hand, face an almost impossible task, needing to score four unanswered goals to turn the tie around.
Gent's interim head coach, Danijel Milicevic, has admitted that his team is now "playing for pride" after the heavy defeat at home, but they will still be hoping to cause an upset and pull off a miracle comeback. However, their recent form has been inconsistent, and they have struggled to score goals, which will make their task even more difficult. In contrast, Betis have been in good form, having also won 3-0 against Real Sociedad in their last La Liga match, with Antony scoring his third goal in four games. The Spanish side will be confident of protecting their lead and advancing to the next round.
The match is expected to be a one-sided affair, with Betis likely to dominate possession and create more scoring opportunities. Gent will need to take risks and push forward in search of goals, which could leave them exposed to counter-attacks. The visitors will be without several key players due to injury, including Aime Omgba, Andrew Hjulsager, and Max Dean, while Betis will be missing Roca, Giovani Lo Celso, and Cucho Hernandez. The possible starting lineups for the match are: Real Betis: Vieites; Sabaly, Bartra, Natan, Perraud; Altimira, Cardoso; Antony, Avila, Ezzalzouli; Bakambu, and Gent: Roef; Mitrovic, Watanabe, Torunarigha; Samoise, Ito, Lopes, Brown; Kums; Vanzeir, Gudjohnsen.
The match schedule and scores for the Europa Conference League knockout round playoff tie are as follows:
- First leg: Gent 0, Real Betis 3
- Second leg: Real Betis vs Gent, Thursday, 20th February, 2025
The team statistics and rankings are:
- Real Betis: 8th in La Liga, 3 wins in last 5 matches
- Gent: 17th in the league phase, 1 win in last 5 matches
In conclusion, while Gent will be hoping to pull off a miracle comeback, the odds are heavily stacked against them, and Betis are likely to advance to the last 16 with ease. The Spanish side has the quality and depth to protect their lead and win the match, and they will be confident of doing so in front of their home fans.
