Europa League Group K strugglers Vitesse and Zulte-Waregem meet in Holland next week, with both sides still searching for a first win of the competition. The duo sit on one point apiece in the standings, making the encounter a must win for both if they are to have any chance of making it through to the next round.
Champions League – GelreDome, Arnhem– Thursday 2nd November – 21:05 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 5/2 at Ladbrokes |
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Lazio
ZulteMatch Preview
After Vitesse earned a hard-fought draw in Belgium just last week, the reverse fixture between the two teams is expected to be just as tight. After being drawn in Group K alongside both Lazio and Nice at the start of the campaign, neither side would have been confident of progressing, with their performances so far doing little to upset the apple cart. Despite not being one of the major Europa League clashes taking place next week, this is still a match that should attract significant interest from betting punters. As a result, let’s take a closer look at the two teams, as well as our top tip for the match.
Vitesse Team News & Form
Vitesse come into this match off the back of a hugely impressive 4-0 away win at Herenveen, which leaves them third in the table after nine matches. Manager Henk Fraser will be looking for his team to transfer their domestic form into Europe when they take on Zulte-Waregem at the GelreDome next week, with the likes of Luc Castaignos, Thomas Bruns and on-loan Chelsea defender Fankaty Dabo being among their best performers so far this season. It is in defence where the Dutch side have struggled in Europe, conceding seven goals in their three matches, including three against both Lazio and Nice. However, as the home side, the emphasis will be upon Vitesse to attack from the off next week.
Zulte-Waregem Team News & Form
Zulte have made a poor start to their domestic campaign, with such form seemingly transferring into their European adventures too. Already 14 points behind Belgian league leaders Club Brugge, Zulte must win in Holland if they are to have any hope of qualifying from Group K. However, with Francky Dury’s men having struggled in both attack and defence in their three ties to date, his team perhaps travel to Arnhem more in hope than expectation. Zulte have a whole host of loanees on their books this season, with the likes of Idrissa Doumbia, Ivan Šaponjić and Juventus man Grigoris Kastanos all potentially starting for the Belgian side next week.
Head to Head
Before last week’s clash in Belgium, where two first half goals meant that the match ended in a draw, the two teams had never previously met in a competitive fixture. As a result, few conclusions can be made ahead of the reverse fixture.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their battling display last week and their recent form in the Dutch top-flight, it comes as little surprise that it is Vitesse who are the favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The home side can be backed at odds of 5/6 with Ladbrokes, while Skybet offers the Ukrainian underdogs odds of 3.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Vitesse to keep a clean sheet, which can be backed at odds of 7/4 with Ladbrokes.