- LNZ Cherkasy are in decent form with 3 wins and 2 defeats from their last 5 matches
- KAA Gent have had a mixed run of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats from their last 5 games
- Gent are the marginal favourites at 2.22, with LNZ at 3.15 and the draw 3.25
LNZ have a chance to make a mark on this match
A game with serious continental juice awaits LNZ Cherkasy and KAA Gent in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 on Thursday, and the home team looks to have enough to trouble the Belgian outfit.
The Ukrainians are in good form and possess a clear game plan which could see them nick it against Gent. Vitaliy Ponomarov has been at the helm since June 2025 and his side have evolved into a team which can sit in a compact mid-to-low block and play on the counter-attack.
The manner of their recent away wins over FC Obolon Kiev and SK Sturm Graz has been examples of their ability to counter-punch, although the home defeat to Goztepe AS Izmir was a reality check.
Gent could have a go, but don’t have it all their own way
But it is clear that LNZ are no easy beats and they are coming off a run of 3 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats in their last 10 in all competitions. That's not a spectacular sequence of results, but it is solid and enough to believe in the hosts here.
Rik De Mil took over the reigns of KAA Gent in December 2025 and his team generally play a possession-based, high-tempo game in which they overload wide areas and press the opposition. However, their away form is not great with 1 win, 2 draws and 3 defeats in their last 6 on the road in all competitions. Gent have conceded 13 goals across those 6 away matches.
Gent to nick it in a tight game
Gent are favourites here and probably rightly so, but with the visitors 2 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats in their last 10 in all competitions, it is also clear they are not in a great run. The safest read is for a narrow victory for Gent, so the Gent/draw double chance bet is taken while Under 2.5 goals at 1.75 also fits the script nicely with Both Teams To Score: No at 1.93. It should be a tight match with Gent the more likely to edge it, but this could go either way, with LNZ's counter-punching ability against Gent's high-tempo play making for a potentially tasty clash.
