Kortrijk will take on Gent at the Guldensporenstadion on Sunday, with both teams looking to make a strong start to the 2024-25 Belgian Pro League season.
The hosts won the relegation/promotion playoff final to stay in the top flight last campaign, while the visitors finished seventh in the regular table before placing top of the Europa Conference League playoff group.
Match preview
Since being promoted into the top division as champions in 2007-08, Kortrijk have been a regular presence in the Belgian Pro League ever since, even finishing in the Championship playoffs on several occasions.
Last season, however, Kortrijk seemed on the brink of relegation as they finished 15th in the regular table, but they avoided automatic demotion by climbing to second in the relegation playoffs, earning a spot in the relegation/promotion playoff final to secure their top-flight status.
They faced second-tier Lommel SK in the final, winning the first leg 1-0 away from home, and despite losing 1-0 in regular time of the second leg, they secured their top-flight status with a 4-2 victory after an extra time full of goals.
Freyr Alexandersson, who has been in charge since January 2024, managed to keep the club in the league after taking over with them at the bottom of the table, and he will now be aiming to lead them up the standings this term.
The visitors will also aim to climb up the Belgian Pro League table in 2024-25, having finished seventh last year and narrowly missing out on a Championship playoffs spot due to an inferior goal difference compared to both the fifth and sixth-placed sides.
Gent did manage to keep their spot at the top of the Europa Conference League playoff group, finishing nine points clear of KV Mechelen, and a 1-0 victory against Genk in the playoff final ensured they had a place in the qualifying rounds for Europe's third-tier competition this season.
Wouter Vrancken's side have already kick-started their competitive campaign, coming from behind to resoundingly beat Vikingur Gota 4-1 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League second qualifying round tie.
Vrancken will now be looking for his team to build on that positive performance with yet another victory against Kortrijk on Sunday, a fixture Gent have not lost in since September 2021.
- W
Team News
Last season's top scorer Isaak Davies returned to Cardiff City after his loan deal expired, leaving the hosts likely to rely on Thierry Ambrose, who was the hero in their survival after netting an extra-time hattrick in the relegation/promotion playoff final last year.
Abdelkahar Kadri was one of Kortrijk's key players in 2023-24, scoring five and assisting four in the league, and the midfielder is expected to start in this one.
As for the visitors, Vrancken could opt to name a similar starting side to the one that decisively beat Vikingur Gota in their first competitive match of the season earlier this week.
Hyun-Seok Hong scored twice in that game and is expected to start alongside Daisuke Yokota and Franck Surdez with summer signing Andri Gudjohnsen likely to lead the line.
Kortrijk possible starting lineup:
Pirard; Mehssatou, Mampasi, Silva, Fujii, El Idrissy; Bruno, Sissako, Kadri; Ambrose, Afolabi
Gent possible starting lineup:
Roef; Fadiga, Watanabe, Mitrovic, Fortuna; De Sart, Kums; Yokota, Hong, Surdez, Gudjohnsen
We say: Kortrijk 1-3 Gent
Gent have not lost against Kortrijk in any of the last five meetings, winning four of those in that time, and we expect the visitors to continue that run with a victory here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
