The fight to reach the Europa League quarter-finals continues as Freiburg welcome Belgian side Genk to the Europa-Park Stadion for what promises to be a tasty European encounter this Thursday night.
An early goal from Zakaria El Ouahdi gave Genk a narrow lead in the opening leg, though with 90 minutes still to play, anything could happen in this round-of-16 tie.
Freiburg are looking to reach a European quarter-final for the first time in their history, and they will be buoyed by their home record which consists of five victories from the previous seven outings.
Check out our prediction, preview and betting tips, including the latest odds. If you want more, make sure to visit our Today’s betting tips page for more expert predictions.
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Freiburg vs Genk key stats
Freiburg have managed to win just one of their last six competitive games.
The Breisgau Brazilians have also failed to score in three of their last four outings.
Genk are looking to win both legs of a major European knockout tie for the first time since 2000-01.
Freiburg vs Genk: Hosts relying on home record
| Freiburg | vs | Genk |
|---|---|---|
| 8th (Bundesliga) | Position | 7th (Pro League) |
| 34 | Points | 41 |
| 37 | Goals For | 41 |
| 43 | Goals Against | 42 |
| 5 | Clean Sheets | 4 |
| 6th | Home Rank | 8th |
| 16th | Away Rank | 7th |
Generally speaking, Freiburg have enjoyed a decent season across all competitions, but there is no denying that their recent form has taken a serious dip.
Julian Schuster’s side have lost three of their last four games, failing to score a single goal in three of those outings.
Freiburg are at risk of losing three major European games in succession for the first time in club history.
Freiburg’s last taste of victory came in late February when they defeated Borussia Monchengladbach at home, though since then it has been an uphill battle for the Breisgau Brazilians.
Speaking of home form, that is perhaps the only saving grace for the Bundesliga side ahead of this second leg.
Freiburg have only lost two games at the Europa-Park Stadion this entire season, with one of them taking place last Sunday against Union Berlin.
Schuster’s men have won 12 of their 18 home matches across all competitions, and they will be determined to continue that trend as they look to reach their first ever European quarter-final.
Unlike Freiburg, Genk have a tonne of European experience which goes back all the way to the 1990s.
The Smurfs enjoyed their best continental run in 2016-17 when they reached the Europa League quarter-finals and bowed out to Celta Vigo after a thrilling tie.
Nicky Hayen’s side will be looking to emulate that run when they travel to Germany for Thursday’s tasty clash with Freiburg.
Boasting an impressive run of four victories from their past five away games, Genk will be full of confidence as they look to expand on their 1-0 lead.
Only Roma have earned more away points than Genk during the league phase of the Europa League.
The Belgian side have also scored a lot more goals on the road in recent weeks, rattling the back of the net 11 times across their last five such matches.
Thursday will mark Genk’s 10th match against German opposition in a major European competition, and the Belgian side will be eyeing up just their third victory.
Freiburg vs Genk form guide & betting tips
| Freiburg | vs | Genk |
|---|---|---|
| W-L-D-L-L | League Form | D-W-L-W-W |
| 5 | Goals For | 9 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 5 |
| D-W-W-L-L | Form (Europa League) | W-W-W-D-W |
Whispers predicts: Freiburg vs Genk
The opening leg was somewhat tentative, but we expect a lot more action in Thursday’s second game.
Freiburg are desperate to turn around their form, but they will need to be at their defensive best to stop a goal-hungry Genk side.
We like the look of the over 2.5 market at around the 3/4 mark - a bet which landed in two of Freiburg’s previous three home games.
Considering how high the stakes are in this second leg, we are also recommending both teams to score at another solid price of 4/5.
Getting down to brass tax, we are also backing Genk to progress to the quarter-final. The Belgian side are priced at 19/20 to win the tie.
> Over 2.5 goals at 3/4 | Likelihood: Probable
> Both teams to score at 4/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> Genk to progress at 19/20 | Likelihood: Probable