- IFK Goteborg have won 2 and lost 3 of their last 5 matches.
- KAA Gent have won 1, drawn 3 and lost 1 of their last 5 games.
- KAA Gent are unbeaten in 8 of their last 10 in all competitions with 3 wins, 5 draws and 2 defeats.
First leg of a new European rivalry
There isn't much of a head-to-head record to go on ahead of IFK Goteborg vs KAA Gent, so this feels more like a fresh game of tactical chess than a grudge match. Joachim Bjoerklund has only recently taken the helm at IFK, but his summer adjustments have been clear in the way the team have played and the results they've collected.
The Swedish team are a 4-3-3 team by nature, but one that can quickly transform into a much more compact 4-2-1-3 when they need to, deploying wide runners and vertical runs to try and pressure the opponents into costly mistakes. Adam Bergmark Wiberg has been their spark so far this season, scoring 2 in 2 games in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026, he looks their sharpest finisher, but this will be a big test of his talent.
IFK's last three results perfectly illustrate the swingy nature of their run so far. They first suffered a 1-2 home defeat to FC Levadia Tallinn in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026, before getting thumped 4-1 in an away game to IK Sirius FK in Allsvenskan 2026. They bounced back from that result by taking advantage of Levadia away, winning that one 1-3.
Steady Belgian side to spoil the party
Rik De Mil has been in charge of KAA Gent since the end of 2025 and his pragmatic approach has helped them stay organised. They're a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 team who like to play football, but they've been steady, not spectacular so far. They're not an all out pressing side, but rather a team that likes to control the ball when they can and then be dangerous on the break.
They're not quite as streaky as their opponents and are likely to have more of a gameplan on Thursday, but their form is still a little cagey. They have 1 win, 3 draws and 1 defeat, their results have all been close-run affairs. KAA Gent's last 3 results perfectly exemplify their approach: a 2-2 away draw to FC Twente in Friendly Club Match 2026, a 0-0 away stalemate with LNZ Cherkasy in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 and a 1-0 home win over the same LNZ Cherkasy.
Don’t expect a runaway win for IFK
The odds are fairly even for this one, with IFK at 2.37, KAA Gent 2.77 and the draw at 3.45, but the draw is the safer pick. These teams have no notable head-to-head history, but KAA Gent's style makes them hard to beat and they should be able to keep it close.
Over 2.5 goals is 1.7 and BTTS - Yes is 1.57, so the market has priced up an action-packed game. However, the only way BTTS - No comes in at 2.25 is if KAA Gent keep the game controlled. There will be a contrast in styles for sure and IFK will want to rattle the visitors early on, but if KAA Gent play their game, it will be a scrappy affair.
