Both Gent and Cercle played European games on Thursday night, but Gent come into this match better prepared. Gent, playing at home against TSC, rotated a few players in their starting lineup and went 3-0 up within 20 minutes. This early lead allowed them to manage the game comfortably, substituting several starters in the second half. In contrast, Cercle faced a tougher away trip to Slovenia, where they struggled to kill the game until Kevin Denkey came off the bench late to secure the win with a goal and an assist.

However, Denkey's late impact was his last appearance for Cercle, as he has just signed for Cincinnati FC. His absence will be a massive blow for Cercle. Denkey has scored 14 goals and provided 6 assists across all competitions this season, including 9 league goals—accounting for half of Cercle's league tally. His departure leaves Cercle with a significant gap in their attack, especially mid-season. Gent will be relieved not to face Denkey, who has been their tormentor in recent meetings, scoring the last four goals for Cercle in their last two head-to-head matches and contributing to 10 of Cercle’s last 15 goals (8 goals, 2 assists) in the last eight encounters. Gent, on the other hand, will miss Atsuki Ito due to suspension, but this absence is manageable. Signed only in August, Ito has missed games earlier in the season, with Gent deploying other effective options such as Delorge as a sole defensive mdifielder and the experienced Sven Kums is also available after a period out with injury.

Gent have been strong at home this season, boasting 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in the league. Across their last 12 matches in all competitions, they have won 10, drawn 1, and lost just 1, including 8 wins to nil. At home, they’ve won their last 5 games in all competitions without conceding and have secured 4 wins to nil in their last 5 home league matches. Their only dropped points at home came against top teams like Antwerp (1-1) and Genk (a loss), and on the opening day against Dender.

Cercle, meanwhile, are in poor form, with 3 losses and a draw in their last 4 games, scoring only 2 goals—both by Denkey in a 3-2 loss to bottom-placed Beerschot. Cercle’s away form has been dismal, with just 1 win, 1 draw, and 6 losses in the league, 5 of which were to nil. Their sole away win came against Union SG, who were severely fatigued due to a packed schedule, while their draw came against Leuven after benefiting from a red card.

With Gent’s strong home form, Cercle’s struggles on the road, and the absence of talisman Denkey, Gent looks like solid value to take all three points here.