Genk: before the game
On the other side is the Belgian formation of Genk which will regain its championship at the end of the month. Genk was thunderous last season, dominating the entire season, but had the misfortune to be short of breath at the end of the exercise during the final phase and lost a title that was still holding his arms by winning only one of his last six matches against the big names (2nd one point from Antwerp). Like it’s Swiss opponent, the Belgian team participated in an avalanche of preparation matches, five in total for a rather contrasting record of two wins and one failure, thus no real advantage on form.
The squads altering
Servette have won all but one of their last 10 matches in all competitions, with the exception of a draw against Basel in May. The squad includes Ivorian Bedia (12 goals, 3 assists last season) and former Ligue 1 player Enzo Crivelli (4 goals, 2 assists), who scored twice in a friendly against Xamas, as well as the selfless Derek Koutesa (3 goals, 7 assists last year), who scored in a friendly against Cercle Brugge.
On the other hand, Bosnian Miroslav Stevanovic (9 goals, 8 assists last year), who did not take part in pre-season matches due to injury, may well be absent on Tuesday. Summer arrivals Gael Ondua, Bradley Maziku and Alexander Ling will be in contention for the hosts’ starting lineup.
Unlike the Swiss championship, the Belgian championship has not yet started, Genk was preparing for the encounter through friendly games. A key player, Joseph Paintsil is still with the club and ready for the upcoming clash while Trezor Ndayishimiye is rumored to be in the process of transferring and will most likely miss the match against Servette.
Servette as an outsider
In preparation for the season, the team conceded only two goals. On paper, Genk torpedoes them. With a budget almost double that of rivals, the Belgians are clearly superior than the swiss. The most expensive Servettian player is Cognat at 3M according to Transfermarket and in Genk it’s Trésor at 15M. Almost 15 Genk players are worth more than Cognat. This team is worth much more, but football is above all played in the heads so yes it is possible. Precise Genk’s advantage looms large.
Prediction
Servette looked very solid in recent meetings and showed that he had already managed to get in good shape. Genk, in turn, experiments a lot and has problems in defense, missing a lot. However, the Belgians are on the side of the home arena and a higher class of players, so successful soccer prediction lies in their victory. The Smurfs have proven they are capable of scoring regularly, and they will be looking to do so again against Servette. Belgian football is booming and Genk could confirm on the home lawn.
