Gent vs LNZ Cherkasy - prediction, team news, lineups

Belgian giants Gent volition invited Ukrainian broadside LNZ Cherkasy to the Planet Group Arena connected Thursday, for a perfectly-poised 2nd limb successful the Conference League's 2nd qualifying round.

The victor of this necktie volition spell connected to look either Goteborg oregon Levadia successful the 3rd qualifying round.

Match preview

Rik De Mil's Gent reached the 2nd qualifying circular acknowledgment to their penalty-shootout triumph implicit Genk successful the Belgian Pro League's European contention playoff, and they volition beryllium hoping that Tibe De Vlieger's 120th-minute equaliser that time does not extremity up being successful vain.

The Buffalos were held to a 0-0 draw by LNZ successful the archetypal leg, failing to person immoderate of their 11 shots during a frustrating contention that saw them fouled 17 times.

Expecting a carnal clash erstwhile again connected Thursday, De Mil's broadside volition request to support their heads amended than they did past week, erstwhile some winger Josue Vergara and centre-back Siebe Van Der Heyden were booked for engaging successful altercations with Cherkasy players.

One affirmative that Gent tin instrumentality from their first-leg gully is the information that they person lone mislaid 1 of their 7 astir caller outings since the extremity of the 2025-26 campaign.

However, the much pessimistic amongst the Buffalos' faithful would item that the squad person won conscionable 3 of those games - including a 2-0 triumph implicit FC Twente connected July 18 - drafting the different three.

Meanwhile, Cherkasy were a fourth-tier broadside conscionable 5 abbreviated years ago, but a accelerated ascension saw them decorativeness runners-up successful the Ukrainian apical formation past season, placing them successful the UEFA qualifiers for the archetypal clip successful nine history.

Vitaliy Ponomaryov's men volition beryllium delighted to person held retired successful the archetypal leg, and volition consciousness a large accidental to laic down a marker for shot successful Ukraine, which has struggled since Russia's penetration backmost successful 2022.

However, LNZ person failed to triumph immoderate of their past 3 matches, drafting doubly and losing erstwhile - 2-0 against Goztepe connected July 16.

To marque matters worse, Cherkasy blanked crossed each 3 of those outings, playing retired a 0-0 stalemate with Dinamo Zagreb connected July 14, and it remains to beryllium seen whether they tin muster the attacking powerfulness to interruption down Gent.

That being said, fans of the visitors volition instrumentality bosom from their team's commendable grounds connected the road, which features a six-game unbeaten tally - including 5 wins - anterior to footwear off.

Gent Conference League form:

Gent friendlies form:

LNZ Cherkasy Conference League form:

LNZ Cherkasy friendlies form:

Team News

Gent welcomed striker Max Dean backmost pursuing a lengthy layoff with a genu injury, and volition beryllium an enactment from the seat for the hosts aft making a precocious substitute quality successful the archetypal leg.

In that aforesaid vein, centre-back Maksim Paskotsi was featured successful the matchday squad for the archetypal limb aft recovering from an ankle issue, though Christian Burgess and Siebe van der Heyden should beryllium manus to commencement astatine the bosom of defence.

However, right-back Matisse Samoise remains sidelined having past taken to the transportation successful December 2025, truthful expect to spot Mouhamed Ngom and Tiago Araujo astatine full-back.

As for LNZ, they volition beryllium looking to Cody David to pb the onslaught connected Thursday, supported up apical by Mark Assinor and Denys Kuzyk.

At the other end, centre-backs Nazarii Muravskyi and Roman Didyk volition person their enactment chopped retired to contradict their Belgian opponents.

Gent imaginable starting lineup:

Roef; Ngom, Burgess, Van der Heyden, Araujo; Lopes, Benes, Delorge; Goore, Kanga, Vegara

LNZ Cherkasy imaginable starting lineup:

Palamarchuk; Pasich, Muravskyi, Didyk, Drambaev; Yakubu, Ryabov, Pastukh; Assinor, David, Kuzyk

We say: Gent 1-0 LNZ Cherkasy

Gent person been acold from awesome during their pre-season friendlies, and were incapable to find a mode done successful past week's archetypal leg.

However, Cherkasy person struggled for goals successful caller matches, and whitethorn autumn to a constrictive defeat, adjacent if their distant grounds suggests they could enactment up a fight.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.