Domestic football returns to Belgium this weekend with plenty of exciting match-ups between top Jupiler Pro League teams. After a superb start to the campaign, St. Gilloise will start 2022 seven points clear at the top of the rankings as they look to claim their first league title since 1935.
After a two week break, Jupiler Pro League teams will be looking to quickly gain some momentum as we head into the second half of the season. The likes of St. Liege and Genk struggled towards the back-end of last year, but the break will have allowed them time to regroup as they eye up a rise in the league table. It’s worth keeping an eye on the football odds for the underdogs, as form and momentum will largely have gone out the window in the two weeks off.
We’ve previewed the upcoming round of Jupiler Pro League calendar fixtures and provided our tips to help with your sports bets. Place your football bets with Bet777.be – the best place for online bets and live betting on Jupiler Pro League teams.
Gent vs Kortrijk
Gent ended 2021 with just one defeat in eight league games as they climbed to 5th place, just three points behind the Championship play-off places. They have made the Ghelamco Arena a fortress, and only one team has picked up more points on home soil. An impressive defensive record has been the major factor in their success, with only their opponents having conceded fewer at home.
Although Kortrijk also ended the year positively, they have struggled to find the net with the frequency of the teams above them, and this could prove troublesome as they travel to face the defensively sound Gent. The home side will be expecting to start 2022 with another three points.
Gent win @ 1.41
Leuven vs KV Mechelen
Although Mechelen have the best home record in the league, only two Jupiler Pro League teams have picked up fewer points on the road. They will travel to face a Leuven side thriving thanks to the creative capacities of French playmaker Xavier Mercier. The 32 year-old midfielder has registered 11 assists in 20 games, and is instrumental in everything positive that Leuven do.
Mechelen’s attack can be unplayable on their day and they have plenty of goal threats, but Leuven will be confident in matching the visitors. We expect there to be goals in this Jupiler Pro League calendar fixture, as the two teams have conceded 71 goals between them thus far, but they are evenly matched for this tie.
Draw @ 3.40
Seraing vs St. Gilloise
This isn’t an ideal way for 17th place Seraing to kick-off of the New Year. They are four points adrift of safety, but that number could get bigger after matchday 22 in the Jupiler Pro League calendar. They face a visit from the league leaders who will be looking to regain some momentum ahead of a potential title charge.
St. Gilloise have the best away record in the league and we can’t see them having too much difficulty dispatching of this Seraing side. Their strike partnership of Vanzeir and Undav will be eager to improve on their tally of 27 goals and 17 assists between them, with a similar second half to the season sure to give them a chance of toppling Club Brugge’s dominance in previous years.
St. Gilloise win @ 1.40
Waregem vs Oostende
The two Jupiler Pro League teams with the leakiest defences go head to head in this match-up. Both sides have strikers capable of changing games, and it may come down to which team is better defensively. Belgian duo Zinho Gano and Jelle Vossen have scored 23 of Waregem’s 31 goals this campaign, and their form will be crucial if Waregem are to avoid the drop.
Makhtar Gueye has also been in fine form for the visitors, and his failure to make the Senegal squad for the African Cup of Nations will be a boost for Oostende. It looks like there could be plenty of goals in this tie, and Waregem have the slight edge at home.
Waregem win @ 2.25
Club Brugge vs St. Truiden
Anything other than a victory is a huge problem for the Champions. They can’t afford for the gap to become 10 points between them and the league leaders, who have not looked like slipping up. Philippe Clement’s side need a fast start in 2022, and we fully expect them to come away with all three points.
The visitors have scored the second fewest goals in the league this campaign, and we can’t see them causing this talented Brugge side too many issues. Charles de Ketelaere is having a standout campaign, and although Noa Lang will miss the tie through suspension, the home side have enough strength in depth to replace him with little trouble.
Club Brugge win @ 1.28
Antwerp vs Charleroi
Charleroi will have to face the second half of this campaign without top goalscorer Shamar Nicholson, who has joined Spartak Moscow after scoring 13 goals in 18 games in this Pro League campaign. The Jamaican’s departure is a huge blow to Charleroi’s chances of challenging for the top four, and the visitors will need to find a replacement sooner rather than later.
Antwerp’s top goalscorer has gone nowhere, but after the goals dried up towards the end of 2021, Michael Frey will be desperate to get back on the scoresheet. Antwerp look the stronger of the two Jupiler Pro League sides and will have the home advantage, and the loss of Nicholson could prove costly to Charleroi’s season.
Antwerp win @ 2.05
Eupen vs Cercle Brugge
The upturn in form of Cercle Brugge was in direct correlation to the impressive performances of Schalke loanee Rabbi Matondo. The Welshman has netted five in his last five games as Brugge climbed towards the top half of the table. Only two teams have picked up more points than the visitors in the last five games, whilst only two teams managed fewer than Eupen in the same period.
The home side have also been weakened by the loss of Edo Kayembe’s presence in their midfield, with the former Anderlecht man joining Watford in a permanent deal. The winter break came at the perfect time for a struggling Eupen, and we expect them to improve on their return.
Draw @ 3.20
Anderlecht vs St. Liege
St. Liege find themselves in real trouble down in 15th, just four points clear of the bottom two. Although they have two games in hand, the Belgian giants will need to turn things around quickly to avoid a shock battle at the bottom. Things don’t get any easier as they travel to Lotto Park to face an Anderlecht side that hasn’t lost at home since the opening day of the season.
Vincent Kompany’s side found some impressive form at the end of the year, winning four of their last five league games with a combined aggregate score of 17-0. They will be looking to pick up from where they left off, knowing any potential slip-up above them could open the door for a late title charge.
Anderlecht win @ 1.45
Genk vs Beerschot VA
Genk’s poor start to the campaign has left them 18 points off the league leaders after just 21 games. The title is already out of their reach, but an upturn in form could see them make up the eight point gap between themselves and the top four. They have been given a kind start to the year as they host rock bottom Beerschot.
The visitors look destined for the drop, already sitting 14 points adrift of safety. They will need a monumental effort in the second half of the season to avoid automatic relegation, but a trip to the Cegeka Arena is not an easy start. After missing out on Nigeria’s AFCON squad, Paul Onuachu will be looking to prove a few people wrong and start the year by getting on the scoresheet.
Genk win @ 1.31
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*Odds correct at time of publish.
