Oostende vs Royal Antwerp Prediction 08.02.2024
KV Oostende
1 - 1
Elapsed: FT
Half time: 1 - 1
Full time: 1 - 1
Kick off:
Date:
Antwerp
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Contents
- Competition: Belgian Cup - Semi-Finals 1st Leg
- Date: Thursday, 8th, February 2024
- Kickoff: 19:00 UTC / 20.00 CET
- Venue: Diaz Arena (Oostende)
Facing off against Royal Antwerp at the Versluys Arena on Thursday, second-tier outfit Oostende will aim to capitalize on home advantage and secure a favorable first-leg result in the semifinals of the Belgian Cup.
Oostende vs Royal Antwerp Betting Tips: BTTS
Oostende is gearing up for a historic quest as they seek to hoist the Belgian Cup trophy for the first time in the club's history, determined to erase the memory of their defeat to Zulte Waregem in the 2016-17 final.
Despite competing in the second tier of Belgian football, De Kustboys have already made it abundantly clear that they shouldn't be underestimated, as they've claimed the scalps of several top-flight teams on their path to the semifinals, knocking out Eupen, Genk, and RWDW from the Croky Cup.
Appointed in mid-January as the new boss, Jamath Shoffner led his team to their first league triumph over the weekend, defeating Koninklijke Lierse 2-1, thereby pulling them off the bottom of the table and establishing a slim one-point advantage over the relegation spots.
Despite the peril of relegation hanging over their heads in the second division, the West Flanders team has demonstrated incredible fortitude thanks to their offensive sharpness, finding the back of the net an impressive 12 times during four cup rounds, driving them even harder to spring a shock against the Belgian champions.
In stark contrast to their Thursday hosts, Royal Antwerp displayed a meteoric resurgence after a stunning 0-1 defeat away to second-to-last Eupen in late December, securing back-to-back wins against the stumbling giant St. Liege with a 2-1 triumph and staging a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Club Brugge last time out.
While defending the domestic title seems nearly impossible for Mark van Bomel's men this term, given their elusive 18-point gap behind runaway leaders Royale Union SG, the Great Old will strive to at least retain the Belgian Cup trophy in their cabinet, but before that, they'll need to surpass the dark horses of this year's national competition.
Antwerp's journey to the top four of the Crocky Cup has been filled with excitement and entertainment, with each of their victories in this competition marked by a wealth of goals, showcasing their ability to compensate for defensive lapses with an explosive offense, knocking out KSK Lierse, Charleroi, and OH Leuven with 12 impressive strikes, albeit failing to keep a clean sheet in the process.
Dutch tactician Mark van Bommel's side will be hoping their attack shines again on Thursday, having triumphed over Oostende in three of their last four clashes with an identical scoreline of 3-0. Despite facing a tough situation, the home ground advantage and previous victories against Antwerp's Jupiler Pro League counterparts could give De Kustboys the courage and confidence to make it difficult for the Belgian champions on their path to the cup final.
KV Oostende vs Antwerp Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
KV Oostende
0 : 3
Antwerp
Pro League
-
Antwerp
3 : 0
KV Oostende
Pro League
-
KV Oostende
1 : 2
Antwerp
Pro League
-
Antwerp
3 : 0
KV Oostende
Pro League
-
Antwerp
1 : 2
KV Oostende
Pro League
-
KV Oostende
1 : 1
Antwerp
Pro League
Oostende team news
Oostende are still unable to call up winger Alessandro Albanese due to meniscus damage, while 22-year-old striker Dapo Mebude is still recovering from a car accident.
Picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last time-out will see Mohamed Berte miss the upcoming league clash with RFC Liege, but coach Jamat Shoffner will be able to include him in the first leg of the Belgian Cup semi-final on Thursday.
Last matches of KV Oostende
-
Lierse Kempenzonen
1 : 2
KV Oostende
Challenger Pro League
-
KV Oostende
0 : 1
Deinze
Challenger Pro League
-
KV Oostende
1 : 0
RWDM
Belgian Cup
-
KV Oostende
3 : 2
Zulte Waregem
Challenger Pro League
-
RSC Anderlecht II
0 : 0
KV Oostende
Challenger Pro League
KV Oostende lineup
Goalkeeper
-
13
Brent Gabriel
Defenders
-
5
Brent Laes
-
3
Zechariah Medley
-
6
Maxime D'Arpino
-
2
Jonas Vinck
-
36
Siebe Wylin
Midfielders
-
16
Sieben Dewaele
-
22
Massimo Decoene
-
8
Ewan Henderson
Forwards
-
90
Mohamed Berte
-
77
David Atanga
Royal Antwerp team news
When it comes to the visiting side, Soumaïla Coulibaly, Bjorn Engels, Ritchie De Laet, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Anthony Valencia are all unavailable for selection due to injuries, including winter signing Eliot Matazo, who arrived on loan from Monaco with a muscular injury.
Moreover, Royal Antwerp manager Mark van Bommel faces the absence of pivotal forward Vincent Janssen, who was sent off in the nail-biting five-goal triumph over Leuven during the quarterfinals of the Belgian Cup.
Last matches of Antwerp
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Antwerp
2 : 1
Club Brugge
Pro League
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Standard Liege
0 : 1
Antwerp
Pro League
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Eupen
1 : 0
Antwerp
Pro League
-
OH Leuven
2 : 3
Antwerp
Belgian Cup
-
Antwerp
4 : 1
Charleroi
Pro League
Antwerp lineup
Goalkeeper
-
91
Senne Lammens
Defenders
-
19
Chidera Ejuke
-
23
Toby Alderweireld
-
33
Zeno Van Den Bosch
-
11
Arbnor Muja
Midfielders
-
5
Owen Wijndal
-
27
Mandela Keita
-
46
Milan Smits
-
24
Jurgen Ekkelenkamp
Forwards
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17
Jacob Ondrejka
-
9
George Ilenikhena
3 Reasons why we expect BTTS
- Oostende has rattled the opponent's net at least twice in each round on their way to the Belgian Cup semi-finals.
- Antwerp has scored three or more goals in each of the three obstacles they faced during the Belgian Cup campaign so far.
- Antwerp hasn't managed to keep a clean sheet in this year's cup from three matches, conceding a total of four goals.
Main prediction KV Oostende - Antwerp
Both Teams to Score
Best Odds:
Additional predictions
Over 2.5
Best odds:1.78
Team 2 to Win
Best odds:1.63