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Hibernian will take on Gent in the second leg of their Europa Conference League playoff on Thursday night, with a place in the competition's league phase up for grabs.
After the first leg finished 0-0, it is a case of winner takes all at Easter Road, which sets us up for an enthralling night of action in Edinburgh.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Hibernian vs Gent key stats
- Hibernian have won both of their Conference League home matches this season.
- Gent have failed to win two of their last three matches in all competitions.
- Fewer than three goals have been scored in each of Hibernian's last three matches.
Hibernian vs Gent preview: A memorable night ahead for Hibs?
Hibernian vs Gent — Tale of the Tape
| Hibernian | vs | Gent |
|---|---|---|
| 7th (Scottish Premiership) | Position | 5th (Belgian Pro League) |
| 3 | Points | 6 |
| 3 | Goals For | 4 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 1 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 1 |
| 9th | Home / Away Rank | 4th |
This current group of Hibernian players are now just one win away from making history, with Hibs now within touching distance of their first-ever league/group stage appearance in Europe.
Manager David Gray is well aware of how close his side are, and he deserves huge credit for navigating the club through a tough qualifying process to reach this point.
Hibs have come through two rounds of qualifying already, but their best performance came in the first leg last week when they walked away with a draw, despite being backed to lose by the bookies.
On another night, it could have gone even better for Hibs, with Owen Elding missing a penalty in the early stages of the match.
For the return leg on Thursday, Gray is expected to field an identical starting XI to the one that played last week, particularly with Rocky Bushiri still out injured.
As for Gent, they will still believe they are in this tie despite failing to secure a first-leg advantage last weekend.
On paper, Gent still have a stronger team than Hibernian, but there will be concerns in their camp, particularly as they have effectively already wasted their 90 minutes of home advantage in the tie.
On the flip side, the Belgians come into the match having yet to taste defeat this season. As long as their unbeaten record remains intact, they will be guaranteed a penalty shootout, at worst, to qualify for the league phase.
Manager Rik De Mil is set to be without Matisse Samoise and Abdul Ayinde on Thursday, and he may consider some attacking changes after his side's lacklustre display in front of goal last week.
Hibernian vs Gent form guide & betting tips
| Hibernian | vs | Gent |
|---|---|---|
W
W
D
W
D
|
Form |
W
W
D
W
D
|
| 5 | Goals For | 6 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 2 |
WDD |
Conference League | WDD |
Whispers predicts: Hibernian 1-0 Gent
Hibs have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three matches, and we are backing them to win a low-scoring match on Thursday. A home win has been best priced at 13/8.
Just one goal has been scored across Hibs' last three matches in all competitions. Under 2.5 goals has been priced at 2/1.
There have been 40 corners taken across Gent's five European matches this season. Under 8.5 corners has been priced at 6/5.
> Gent to win at 13/8 (2.63) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 2/1 (3.00) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 8.5 corners at 6/5 (2.20) | Likelihood: Possible