Gent vs Istanbul Basaksehir Predictions

• Six of Gent’s last ten home wins have been accompanied by a clean sheet
• Basaksehir have failed to score in three of their last five away matches
• Gent’s last five games have all featured fewer than three goals

Gent struggling to convince

Gent needed penalties to squeeze past Qarabag in the playoff round of the Europa Conference League and another tight tie looks on the cards in the last-16 against Istanbul Basaksehir.

The Buffalo’s form has been a little up and down since the start of the year but they at least head into Thursday’s game having won three of their last four matches, most recently beating Anderlecht at home in a nervy Belgian Pro League contest.

Following that result up with another victory at the Ghelamco Arena feels like a must if Hein Vanhaezebrouck’s men are to avoid a second straight last-16 stage exit from the Conference League with Gent winless in six away games in this competition.

Goals in short supply for Basaksehir

Istanbul Basaksehir’s away record is a little better, winning at Hearts on route to topping their group, while they won 3-1 at Gent’s compatriots Antwerp in the process of qualifying for the Conference League.

A group stage loss to Fiorentina this season is their only defeat in this competition across 12 matches and while that might suggest they are a tough nut to crack, they enter this fixture off the back of a pair of 1-0 defeats in the Turkish Super Lig.

The goals look to have dried up for Basaksehir, who did net 14 in the group stages but are the lowest scores in the Super Lig’s top eight, and that could contribute to under 2.5 goals landing for the sixth time in Gent’s last eight home matches.

Home form is likely to be the key to this tie and if there is to be a winner in the first leg then Gent may just have enough firepower to secure a narrow lead for the return trip to Istanbul.