Gent vs Bordeaux Predictions

Gent have been in fantastic form recently as they’ve strolled through the competition, but Bordeaux have faced major crisis which threatens to thwart all of their hard work up until now.

After Bordeaux’s victory over Mariupol last week which sent them through to this play-off fixture, manager Gus Poyet went on a rant during his post-match press conference, discussing the situation around the sale of the club’s attacker Gaetan Laborde. Laborde was recently sold to Montpellier and Poyet revealed that the club had sold the player without his approval, saying that he asked them only to let him go once a replacement was signed. But the club did not heed his desires and he brandished the hierarchy a “disgrace”, to which club president Stephane Martin subsequently sacked him as his comments had gone too far in the Frenchman’s eyes.

Bordeaux now find themselves without the manager who saved them last year and qualified them for the Europa League against all odds. The fans and players have been up in arms over the decision with the squad refusing to train last week following the news. Fans have also expressed their rage online as well as at Bordeaux’s weekend match against Toulouse.

The Girondins had been playing extremely well up until this point, but their performance levels took a nosedive in their first match without Poyet. They were bullied off the pitch by a pretty average Toulouse side and this could spell real worry for the team. They now face a great Gent side who are high off four consecutive wins and as they look for a fifth, the French could find themselves in the firing line.

Gent started off their domestic season pretty poorly with a loss and a draw against Standard and ZW but have bounced back with four wins back-to-back, scoring 11 goals along the way. The Belgians are unbeaten in their last six home games and will back themselves to get another positive result here against a Bordeaux team in meltdown. They suffered a pretty poor finish to last season with only two victories in their last eight games but an extremely positive pre-season where they won eight of their nine matches seems to have spurred the team on again to their full potential.

Gent have never won the Belgian First Division but have pretty consistently been in and around the title race for the last 13 years. Through this, they have become pretty seasoned regulars in Europe with one of their highlights coming in a fantastic 2016/17 campaign under Hein Vanhaezebrouck where they qualified for the round of 16, notably beating Tottenham along the way.

Gent will back themselves to get a good result from this game due to their formidable recent home form as well as the torrid state of their opposition at the moment. Bordeaux have been linked with several high-profile managers but as long as they continue under the interim leadership of their fitness coach Eric Bedouet they are bound to suffer. Gent should win this one pretty easily at home as Bordeaux have conceded in each of their last five games while the Belgians have 46 goals in their previous 15 matches. We’re backing a 3-1 win for Gent as Bordeaux have scored in all of their European matches so far but won’t be up to the task without Gus Poyet and we’re therefore doubting them to get anything from this game.