Anderlecht has started the season in remarkable form, remaining unbeaten across all competitions until the international break. This includes back-to-back 1-0 wins over Dinamo Minsk in the Europa League play-offs, both home and away.
Following the break, Anderlecht aimed to continue their strong momentum as they prepared for domestic league matches against Westerlo, Genk, and Charleroi.
Ferencvaros, on the other hand, had a tougher road to securing their Europa League group stage spot. After being eliminated by Midtjylland in the third round of the Champions League qualifiers, they managed to secure a place in the Europa League by edging past Borac Banja Luka on penalties.
Like Anderlecht, Ferencvaros had a solid run before the break, with their only defeat coming against Midtjylland. In preparation for this match, they participated in the Hungarian Cup against Budafoki and faced MTK Budapest in the league.
Anderlecht will likely be without Thorgan Hazard, younger brother of Eden Hazard and a former Borussia Dortmund player, who is sidelined with an injury. Marco Kana, who has played a minor role this season, is also a doubt.
Despite these setbacks, Anderlecht boasts a strong lineup, including rising star Mario Stroeykens (19 years old, 1 goal, 2 assists in the league), Swedish international Ludwig Augustinsson (who joined from Sevilla after a successful loan), and Ghanaian midfielder Majeed Ashimeru (1 goal in the league).
Francis Amuzu, who scored 4 goals last season, is expected to contribute, although Kasper Dolberg (15 goals, 4 assists last season) and Anders Dreyer (19 goals, 9 assists) have yet to find their best form this season.
Ferencvaros will rely heavily on Hungarian international Ryan Mmaee Varga, who scored 20 goals and provided 3 assists in the league last season.
Tunisian international Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane has also started the season well, with 2 league goals and another scored during the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Gambia.
However, Ferencvaros made the surprising decision to loan out Kenan Kodro (13 goals last season) to Gaziantep, and rising star Krisztofer Lisztes (19 years old, 8 goals last season) has joined Eintracht Frankfurt.
Prediction
Anderlecht has not been known for high-scoring games in the Europa League, with 14 of their last 17 matches ending with fewer than 2.5 goals.
Ferencvaros has displayed a similar trend, as 9 of Anderlecht’s last 12 games have also featured under 3 goals. This suggests that the upcoming clash is likely to be another low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Anderlecht 0-1 Ferencvaros
