Genk vs Sporting Charleroi Preview & Prediction

When is Genk vs Sporting Charleroi on and what time does it start? Genk vs Sporting Charleroi will take place on Sunday 20 August, 2023 – 15:00 (UK)

Where can I get tickets for Genk vs Sporting Charleroi? Visit each team’s official website for the latest ticket information

Where can I watch Genk vs Sporting Charleroi in the UK? Genk vs Sporting Charleroi will not be televised live and cannot be streamed in the UK

THE LOWDOWN

GENK

Under the management of Wouter Vrancken, Genk spent the majority of last season sitting at the top-of-the-table but eventually they faded and lost the title on the final day of the season to Royal Antwerp in dramatic circumstances. They will, once again, be expecting to challenge for the Belgian title this time around and sustain their form.

Their most recent outing was a 1-1 draw with Olympiakos which has seen them be knocked out of the UEFA Europa League, losing 2-1 on aggregate. That follows defeat to Servette which saw them knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, too. In the league, they have endured a disappointing loss to Eupen but defeated newly-promoted RWDM and edged past Cercle Brugge.

SPORTING CHARLEROI

Sporting Charleroi come into this on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Standard Liege in their most recent outing. The visitors were 1-0 down in that match but Nathan Ngoy’s 88 minute red card was followed by Marco Ilaimaharitra scoring a 91 minute penalty to rescue a point for Charleroi. It has been a very frustrating start to the campaign.

They took an early lead on the opening day against Oud-Heverlee Leuven but then went down to ten men soon after and eventually conceded late on. After that, they were comfortably beaten away to Cercle Brugge before that aforementioned 1-1 draw with Standard and there may will be pressure growing on former Union SG boss Felice Mazzu, who returned to the club last season.

THE TEAM NEWS

GENK

Wouter Vrancken may be coming under a little bit of pressure and the Genk boss will be immensely frustrated to be without key man Brian Heynen. He will also have a few selection dilemmas after a dramatic evening against Olympiakos the other day.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Vandevoordt; Arteaga, Cuesta, McKenzie, Kayembe; Hrosovsky, Oyen; Sor, El Khannouss, Paintsil; Arokodare

UNAVAILABLE: Heynen (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE:

SPORTING CHARLEROI

Felice Mazzu has always deployed a three at the back system and, despite their slow start to the season, they will do the same. The visitors will be without key man Marco Ilaimaharitra, though, following his late red card last weekend.

PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Koffi; Boukamir, Marcq, Knezevic; Rogelj, Morioka, Zorgane, Mbenza; Heymans, Badji; Dabagh

UNAVAILABLE: Ilaimaharitra (Suspended)

QUESTIONABLE: Tshiend (Injured), van Cleemput (Injured), Benbouali (Injured), Tchatchoua (Injured)

THE PREDICTION

Genk are under pressure to get three points after a stop-start beginning to the domestic season and having already been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League and all the way down to the UEFA Europa Conference League. They take on a Sporting Charleroi side that are struggling to a different extent and will be concerned themselves of enduring a difficult campaign. It could well be a low-scoring encounter between two disjointed sides but even if that is the case, Genk are still expected to come out on top, just about.