Westerlo welcome Standard Liege to Het Kuipje for their final fixture in the Belgian Pro League European playoffs on Saturday evening.
The two teams last butted heads on matchday four of the playoffs when they shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Liege last month.
Match preview
Westerlo’s wait to compete in qualifiers for European competition has been extended to 14 years, as they have missed out on qualifying for the Conference League for the third successive season since securing promotion to the top flight.
Their fate was sealed just under a fortnight ago when they threw away a 3-1 lead with half an hour remaining to lose 4-3 away against Charleroi, who has secured top spot in the six-team standings to progress to the playoff final against Royal Antwerp.
After finishing ninth in the regular season, Timmy Simons‘s side sit second in the playoff standing having posted three wins, four draws and two defeats across nine matches, most recently beating Leuven 2-0 on the road last weekend.
Westerlo are now seeking to consolidate second spot on Saturday against a Standard Liege outfit whom they have beaten five times in their last nine home meetings, drawing the remaining four.
Ten-time Belgian top-flight champions Standard Liege are in danger of finishing rock bottom of the six-team playoff standings, as they are the only team who are still searching for their first win having drawn six and lost three of their nine games.
Goals have been at a premium in games involving the Reds, who have found the net just five times and have conceded only eight across their nine fixtures, drawing their last two matches 0-0 against Mechelen and Dender.
Standard Liege finished the regular season in seventh place, but they now sit at the foot of the six-team playoff standings, just one point behind fifth-placed Leuven heading into their final match this weekend.
Ivan Leko‘s side have failed to win any of their last 12 league games since stunning title hopefuls Club Brugge by a 2-1 scoreline away from home in mid-February, while their last trip to Westerlo ended in a 4-2 defeat in February.
Team News
Westerlo left-back Jordan Bos is set to remain sidelined with a hamstring injury, but midfielder Dogucan Haspolat is available for selection after serving a one-match suspension.
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Alfie Devine scored his sixth goal of the season last time out and could continue in the number 10 role, while former Sporting Lisbon and Leicester City striker Islam Slimani, 36, will continue to battle with 14-goal top scorer Matija Frigan for a start up front.
As for Standard Liege, they will be without Bosko Sutalo, David Bates, Boli Bolingoli, Souleyman Doumbia and top scorer Andi Zeqiri (10 goals) due to injury, but midfielder Sotiris Alexandropoulos is available to return after serving a one-game ban.
Andreas Hountondji (three) and Dennis Eckert (one) has scored four of the Reds’ five goals in the playoffs and both players are expected to retain their places in the final third.
Westerlo possible starting lineup:
Jungdal; Reynolds, Lapage, Bayram, Rommens; Van den Keybus, Piedfort; Yow, Devine, Sakamoto; Frigan
Standard Liege possible starting lineup:
Epolo; Ngoy, Hautekiet, Dierckx; Fossey, Amani, Bulat, Karamoko, Calut; Eckert, Hountondji
We say: Westerlo 2-0 Standard Liege
Both teams are merely playing for pride in this final fixture with Westerlo heading in as favourites. Standard Liege are determined to end their miserable winless run, but their form in the final third is a concern and the host should ultimately find a way to claim maximum points.
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