Genk will look to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals for the first time since the 2016-17 season when they take on Freiburg at the Cegeka Arena on Thursday.
The Belgian side reached the knockout stage after securing a hard-fought 6-4 aggregate play-off victory over GNK Dinamo, scoring twice in extra time after letting a two-goal first-leg advantage slip.
Freiburg, meanwhile, boast the best defensive record in the Europa League, having conceded just four goals in eight matches.
Read our Genk vs Freiburg prediction, preview and betting tips with odds from bet365. You can also check out our Today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
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Genk vs Freiburg key stats
- Freiburg have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four games.
- All of Genk's last six matches went above the 2.5-goal line.
- Four of the last five Genk's fixtures have gone under the 4.5-card threshold.
Genk vs Freiburg preview: Can the home side take a healthy lead?
| Genk | vs | Freiburg |
|---|---|---|
| 7th (Belgian League) | Position | 8th (Bundesliga) |
| 38 | Points | 34 |
| 40 | Goals For | 37 |
| 42 | Goals Against | 42 |
| 3 | Clean Sheets | 5 |
| 9th | Home Rank | 5th |
| 7th | Away Rank | 16th |
Genk secured a 3-1 victory in the first leg against Dinamo Zagreb, but the tie was pushed to extra time in the return fixture, where the Belgian side kept their composure and struck twice to seal a 3-3 aggregate scoreline and book their place in the round of 16.
Head coach Nicky Hayen said his side progressed through “blood, sweat and tears”, while Blauw-Wit will now be aiming to produce another heroic performance against the German outfit to take a healthy advantage into the second leg.
However, their recent domestic form has been inconsistent, with Genk losing two of their last three Pro League matches and heading into this encounter on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise.
Fewer than five cards have been shown in four of Genk’s last five matches.
Scoring goals has not been an issue for the Belgian side, having netted at least twice in four consecutive European matches, but their defence remains a major concern, with Genk conceding 10 goals in their last seven Europa League games.
Freiburg, meanwhile, qualified automatically for the round of 16 after recording five wins and two draws, while they also boast the best defensive record in the competition so far.
The Breisgau-Brasilianer have managed just one victory in their previous four Bundesliga outings, losing twice during that run, and they currently sit eighth in the league table.
Julian Schuster’s side head into this match following an entertaining 3-3 draw with Bayer Leverkusen, although their away form has been particularly poor this season, with just one win in their last seven matches on the road and five defeats in that stretch.
Freiburg have lost their last three away matches in the Bundesliga, while they have won only twice on the road in the German top flight this season, conceding 27 goals.
The visitors are expected to be without Max Rosenfelder and Lukas Kübler due to injuries, while midfielder Maximilian Eggestein will miss the match through suspension after receiving a red card.
Genk vs Freiburg form guide & betting tips
| Genk | vs | Freiburg |
|---|---|---|
| L-W-W-L-W | Form | D-L-W-L-W |
| 9 | Points | 7 |
| 5th | Form Table | 11th |
| 10 | Goals For | 6 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 10 |
Best bookie to bet on Genk vs Freiburg – bet365
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Whispers Predicts: Genk 2-1 Freiburg
Both sides head into this encounter on the back of patchy form, while bet365 sees no clear favourite, pricing each team at 13/8 (2.63).
Despite Freiburg’s impressive defensive record in the competition, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four matches, and we therefore expect both teams to find the net.
Genk’s last six matches have all produced over 2.5 goals, and we are backing that trend to continue, with bet365 offering odds of 10/11 (1.91) for three or more goals.
With Genk having scored at least twice in four consecutive European matches, we predict the home side will take a 2–1 lead from the first leg.
> BTTS -YES at 1.67 | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 2.5 goals at 1.91 | Likelihood: Probable
> Genk win and BTTS - Yes at 5.0 | Likelihood: Possible
> Match result: Genk win at 2.63 | Likelihood: Possible