Charleroi vs Eupen Predictions

• At least three goals were scored in each of Charleroi’s last five home league games last season.
• At least three goals were scored in three of Eupen’s last four away league contests of 2021-22.
• At least three goals have been scored in four of Charleroi’s five summer friendlies and three of Eupen’s last four.

Zebras might not overrun Eupen this time

Sporting Charleroi are fancied to flatten Eupen again when they meet in the opening round of Belgium’s First Division A on Saturday. The Zebras won both league encounters convincingly last season, putting seven goals past the Pandas with none conceded, but results in pre-season have been worrying.

Edward Still’s side have lost their last three warm-up games, including two against clubs that finished well below them in the standings last season. Eupen ended up only four points clear of the drop zone last term, but their pre-season work suggests they could finish higher than 15th in the coming campaign.

The Pandas had a couple of wins over lower-league German opposition and went down 4-1 to Kaiserslautern before enjoying the better of a 1-1 draw with Ajax last weekend. The running theme of both clubs’ summer schedules has been goals, so backing a few in this season-opener would seem like a good idea.

Three-goal mark looks beatable again

At least three goals were scored in each of Charleroi’s last five home league games last season and also in three of Eupen’s last four away league contests of 2021-22. Hence, taking over 2.5 goals in preference to the hosts at around the same price seems an easy choice to make.

Last season’s xG numbers for both clubs also back up the goals theory as Charleroi’s 1.5 figure added to Eupen’s 1.2 clears the 2.5 mark and also points to a pretty close game. A 2-1 away win gets the narrow vote here as the hosts were quite poor for long periods in their 4-1 loss to a Strasbourg side two weeks behind them in preparation terms last weekend.

*To use the Live Streaming service you will need to be logged in and have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours.