Rapid Vien came through Lokomotiva Zagreb in the Champions League second qualifying round. Now, the Austrians head to Belgium to play Gent in a fascinating fixture.
The Austrians joined the Champions League courtesy of a second-place finish in the Bundesliga last season. Their finish was fortunate as original second-place finisher, LASK Linz, was docked points for breaking COVID-19 protocols.
Gent were runners-up to Club Brugge giving them passage to the qualifying rounds of the Champions League. Their domestic season has not started well and Gent sit near the bottom of the Belgian First Division.
Laszlo Boloni took the reins of the club on August 20th from Jess Thorup. The former manager oversaw two straight defeats to begin the campaign. Boloni has done no better since assuming the job. Gent have won once and lost twice in the league under Boloni.
Rapid Wien kicked off their domestic season last weekend with a 4-1 win against Admira. Taxiarchis Fortunas scored twice as Rapid Wien ran riot at home.
Coach Dietmar Kuhbauer will be desperate to get a win in Belgium and show just how strong Austrian football is currently.
League rival Red Bull Salzburg showed they were a viable candidate to win the Europa League just a few seasons ago and rubbed shoulders with Liverpool and Napoli in last season’s Champions League. Now, Rapid Wien want to reach the same levels as the energy drink-fuelled team.
Gent’s only win this season came against Mechelen on matchday 4 of the Belgian First Division. Goals have not been plentiful for the club. They average just 0.8 goals per game in the league. Defender Ihor Plastun leads the team in goals with two.
Meanwhile, they concede 1.4 goals per match. Gent’s defence has been suspect in the early stages of the season and could be once more on Tuesday night against a free-scoring Rapid Wien.
Rapid Wien have played three games in all competitions (Champions League qualifying, Austrian Cup, League) scoring a combined 10 goals and conceding one. They are free-scoring and average 3.33 goals per match.
These teams do not have recent history against one another. Tuesday night’s game will see a free-scoring side visiting a team with a porous defence.
Alles Gepäck da? Dann kann es weitergehen! Am Abend folgen in Gent dann Pressekonferenz und Abschlusstraining ⚽️ #SCR2020 #UCL pic.twitter.com/CQqkSSGr09— SK Rapid (@skrapid) September 14, 2020
Alles Gepäck da? Dann kann es weitergehen! Am Abend folgen in Gent dann Pressekonferenz und Abschlusstraining ⚽️ #SCR2020 #UCL pic.twitter.com/CQqkSSGr09
The game should see goals with the two teams combining for over 3.5 goals scored. Expect both teams to score with extra-time needed to separate them in this one-off tie.