Gent vs Westerlo Prediction: Hosts to win in this high-scoring contest

The Ghelamco Arena is the venue for the 22nd round of the Belgian Pro League, featuring a match between Gent and Westerlo. After facing consecutive defeats, Genk aims to bounce back, while Westerlo's impressive six-match unbeaten streak concluded with a loss on the road against Club Brugge.

Gent seeks improvement from their recent performance, having suffered a 1-2 defeat in the Jupiler Pro League against KV Mechelen. Despite Gent's commanding 62% possession and 23 shots, with 7 on target, the lone goal for Gent came from Julien De Sart in the 60th minute. KV Mechelen capitalized, with Daam Foulon scoring in the 26th minute and Bill Antonio securing the win with an 83rd-minute goal from their nine attempts, two of which were on target. Over the last six games, Hein Vanhaezebrouck's Gent has scored a total of eight goals, averaging 1.33 goals per match.

As they approach this match, Gent hold an impressive record against Westerlo, having remained undefeated in the last 14 league encounters, a remarkable streak.

Westerlo faced a sluggish start to their season but has shown improvement by securing crucial points under the guidance of their new manager, Rik De Mil. In their recent outing, they suffered a 3-0 defeat against Club Brugge, and despite the loss, they were fortunate not to concede more goals in a heavily one-sided contest at the Jan Breydel Stadium. However, leading up to that match, Westerlo enjoyed a positive streak, going unbeaten in six matches, securing four wins and two draws. Their victories came against Kortrijk, Eupen, RWDM, and Rapid București, while they drew with Antwerp and Bocholt, both matches ending with identical 2-2 scores. Currently positioned 11th in the league table with 21 points from 21 games, Westerlo aims to bounce back from their recent defeat in the upcoming weekend.

Gent and Westerlo have faced each other 42 times, with the hosts securing victory in 20 matches and the visitors emerging victorious 11 times. Additionally, there have been 11 draws in their encounters. The hosts have displayed dominance by winning the last three games and maintaining an unbeaten streak in the last five matches against Westerlo. On the other hand, the visitors have struggled to keep a clean sheet in the last six fixtures between the two teams. Notably, Westerlo has only suffered four out of their 10 league defeats on the road this season.

Gent is currently facing a challenging run with two consecutive defeats, marking four losses in their last six competitive matches. Notably, they have suffered back-to-back home defeats for the first time since October 2022 and will be eager to return to winning form in the upcoming match. Westerlo, on the other hand, recently ended a four-game unbeaten streak and aims to bounce back from their latest result. While Westerlo has performed reasonably well on the road lately, facing significantly stronger opposition this weekend may pose a greater challenge.

Despite the potential difficulty for both sides, the match is expected to be competitive, with an emphasis on offensive play. Therefore, a bet on goals is suggested, as both teams are likely to find the net in this encounter.