Anderlecht vs Ferencvaros Prediction: 25/9/2024

Anderlecht has been in incredible form at the start of the season, remaining unbeaten across all competitions up until the international break. This includes a double victory over Dinamo Minsk in the Europa League play-off, winning 1-0 both home and away. Following the break, Anderlecht aimed to maintain their strong performance as they prepared to face Westerlo, Genk, and Charleroi in the Belgian league.

Ferencvaros had a tougher path to secure their spot in the Europa League group stage. They fought through to the third round of the Champions League qualifiers but were knocked out by Danish side Midtjylland. In the Europa League play-offs, Ferencvaros needed penalties to overcome Borac Banja Luka.

Similar to Anderlecht, Ferencvaros had been solid until the break, with their only loss coming against Midtjylland. Before this match against Anderlecht, they played in the Hungarian Cup against Budafoki and faced MTK Budapest in the league.

Thorgan Hazard, brother of Eden Hazard and a former Borussia Dortmund player, is sidelined with an injury and will likely miss this game. Marco Kana, who has had a limited role, is also doubtful. Despite these absences, Anderlecht’s squad remains mostly intact, featuring players like the talented Mario Stroeykens (19 years old, 1 goal, 2 assists in the league), Swedish international Ludwig Augustinsson (signed from Sevilla after a successful loan), and Ghanaian midfielder Majeed Ashimeru (1 goal in the league).

Francis Amuzu, who scored 4 goals last season, is also expected to contribute. Kasper Dolberg (15 goals, 4 assists last season) and Anders Dreyer (19 goals, 9 assists) have yet to hit top form this season.

On the Ferencvaros side, Hungarian international Ryan Mmaee Varga, who scored 20 goals and provided 3 assists in the league last season, remains their key attacking threat. Tunisian international Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane has also started the season well with 2 goals in the league, adding another during the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Gambia.

However, Kenan Kodro (13 goals last season) has surprisingly been loaned out to Gaziantep, while promising young talent Krisztofer Lisztes (19 years old, 8 goals last season) joined Eintracht Frankfurt.

 

Prediction

Anderlecht is not known for producing high-scoring games in the Europa League, with 14 of their last 17 matches featuring under 2.5 goals. Ferencvaros has shown a similar trend, with 9 of Anderlecht’s last 12 matches also finishing with fewer than 3 goals. This suggests another low-scoring encounter.

Prediction: Anderlecht 0-1 Ferencvaros