Gent have a chance to end any chance of play-off two being exciting going into the final two games of the season if they beat Cercle Brugge this weekend. After their 4-0 triumph over the green and black last time out, they are in prime position to guarantee they will be joining the qualification rounds for the Europa Conference League.
This was Gent’s first win over Cercle this season, albeit against 10 men after Christiaan Ravych was sent off. Gift Orban will once again be looked at the get amongst the goals, with the winter signing just one away from 20 for the season in just 20 games. Ahead of him in the goal scoring charts is Hugo Cuypers, who is also chasing the golden boot for the entire league. the 26-year-old, who joined from Mechelen in the summer, has scored 22 league goals this season. Overall, in 53 games for Gent he has 29 goals.
Standard Liege and Westerlo will face each other in the other game, hoping that Cercle can find a win to keep their slim chances alive. Should Cercle win, they will go to within five points of Gent with two games remaining, a tough ask seeing as though they will not face Gent again and have no chance to take points off of them. If Standard can beat Westerlo and Gent lose, they will close to within four points of Gent and face them in the final game of the season.
This all seems unlikely, with the Buffaloes not having lost during the play-offs, scoring an impressive nine goals in their three games.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
