All AS Eupen players are at Jordi Condom’s disposal, as there are not any injuries in the team at the moment. Eupen had a decent pre-season and the atmosphere in the team is good. A few Eupen players have recently stressed that a good start to the season is very important and that everyone at the club is fully committed and determined to win on Saturday. The host’s defence was the second worst in the league last season and they managed to keep their place in the Jupiler Pro league chiefly due to the prolific duo, Sylla and Onyekuru. However, both of these players have been sold over the summer, so the 0 handicap is not very appealing. Without their two main strikers from last season and having failed to bring in players of similar quality, Eupen are expected to struggle with being as effective as in the previous campaign, and 2.75 goal line may be really difficult to beat seeing as they could struggle for goals.
Bossut of Zulte Waregem is doubtful as he picked up a minor injury in a friendly. All other players are fully fit and at the manager’s disposal. Zulte have recently signed an Italian goalkeeper, Leali, who joined on loan from Juventus and should be a valuable addition to the team. Morale could be slightly better as Zulte lost the Super Cup match to Anderlecht. Zulte-Waregem was very impressive last year and finished the regular season in the 3rd position. They have lost two key midfielders over the summer, but also brought in some quality replacements, so the 0 handicap looks really beatable as they have more potential as a team overall, and should defeat Eupen on Saturday. The visitors’ attacking department was doing really well last season, although, there were several teams that scored more goals. Zulte haven’t signed any spectaculars strikers during the current transfer window and with Eupen who will play without Sylla and Onyekuru, the 2.75 goal line will be difficult to get over.
Verdict & Prediction
Losing their first game of the season brought team morale down, although Zulte fans did not really expect their team to win the Super Cup as Anderlecht have much more potential than their team. The visitors will be motivated to start the season by winning three points and will try to take the advantage of the fact they plenty of key players left AS Eupen, especially in the attacking department. Zulte-Waregem are favourites in this game as despite losing some players, they still have more experience and quality within their team. Also, it is important to notice, that Eupen have a new manager, and some players will still struggle to understand his philosophy.
Prediction: Zulte Waregem +0.00 Asian Handicap (same as Draw no bet option)
Odds: 1.85 Pinnacle
Another betting preview for today: St. Polten v Rapid Vienna – Bundesliga
