Will the Hammers continue their strong run?
Although West Ham United have already won a European title in 1965 (European Cup Winners’ Cup), the Hammers have never successfully qualified for a group stage of a UEFA competition before the 2021/22 season. However, with the east Londoners’ recent run of form continuing, that could change for good in the future.
Not only do the Irons top Group H of the Europa League with three wins and 7-0 goals, but they also occupy fourth place in the Premier League. Accordingly, in the run-up to the match between Genk and West Ham, the odds are clearly swinging in the direction of the Englishmen.
Meanwhile, things are not going too well for Genk. The Belgians first celebrated a 6-0 victory in the cup last week at the underclass club Sint-Eloois-Winkel, before they also won 6-2 in the league on Sunday at Zulte Waregem. However, they lost all five of their previous matches, including the first leg against today’s guests from London (0:3).
In our opinion, there is therefore a lot of value in betting on Genk against West Ham, with the Hammers also winning the second leg.
Genk – Statistics & current form
Kinklijke Racing Club Genk secured the runners-up spot in Belgium this summer, which allowed them to first compete in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League, but in which they suffered two 1-2 defeats to Shakhtyor Donetsk.
Without further qualifying matches, the Blauw-Witten (in German: die Blau-Weißen) thus entered the group stage of the Europa League, in which the Belgians have a very good overall record. In four appearances, Genk have always been group winners in the Europa League preliminary round.
Five defeats in the last six international home matches
At the moment, however, not only is the fifth group win in a row in jeopardy, because after the 0:3 defeat against West Ham United they are already six points behind the English high-flyers, but also the renewed entry into the knockout phase hangs in the balance.
The Blauw-Witten have won only one of their first three group matches and, after their 1-0 win at Rapid Wien, have recently suffered two 3-0 defeats in a row. Their international record has also suffered as a result. Five of the last six European home games were lost.
Lost five of last seven competitive games
Although, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Belgians were successful in their dress rehearsal for the return match against the Hammers last week with two clear away victories. However, with five defeats in their last seven competitive matches, the overall momentum does not favour John van den Brom’s side.
In the Jupiler Pro League, only a sobering seventh place is on record after 13 league games, which is why the Blauw-Witten go into the fourth matchday of the Europa League preliminary round as clear underdogs.
Predicted line-up of Genk:
Vandervoordt – Arteaga – Lucumi – Sadick – Munoz – Thorstvedt – Hrsovsky – Heynen – Paintsil – Ito – Onuachu
Last matches played by Genk:
Jupiler Liga
10/31 2021 – SV Zulte Waregem 2 – 6 KRC Genk
Cup
10/27 2021 – Sint-Eloois-Winkel 0 – 6 KRC Genk
Jupiler League
10/24 2021 – KRC Genk 0 – 3 KAA Gent
Europa League Grp. H
10/21 2021 – West Ham 3 – 0 KRC Genk
Jupiler Liga
10/17 2021 – RSC Charleroi 2 – 0 KRC Genk
West Ham – Statistics & current form
West Ham United have won the FA Cup three times, even adding the now defunct 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup to the first of those three titles the following year. However, the Irons had never before qualified for an international group stage.
Accordingly, the sixth place in the final table 2020/21 was celebrated extensively in the east of London, with which it now went into the preliminary round of the Europa League for the first time under success coach David Moyes.
Three games, three wins and 7-0 goals
The Irons have sold themselves very dearly here so far.
All three group matches so far have not only been won, but even won without conceding a goal. With a maximum of nine points and 7:0 goals, the English are on course for the knockout round.
If West Ham also win the second leg against Genk and the parallel match between Zagreb and Vienna ends in a draw, the Hammers’ group victory would be irrefutable after just four matchdays and they will be desperate to continue their strong run on Thursday night three days before the Premier League home game against Liverpool.
A
Won eight of last nine competitive games
Recently, Moyes’ eleven have won eight of their last nine competitive games. The Irons are not only fourth in the Premier League and can even dream of reaching the Champions League for the first time, but they even eliminated national champions Manchester City in the EFL Cup a week ago.
Given this run of form, betting on an away win for the in-form East Londoners at Genk against West Ham is a very good bet, although at least their recent European record reads less than fearsome. The matchday one away win in Zagreb was one of only two victories from their last eight international competitive matches away from home.
Predicted West Ham line-up:
Aréola – Cresswell – Diop – Dawson – Johnson – Rice – Soucek – Vlasic – Lanzini – Yarmolenko – Bowen
Last matches played by West Ham:
Premier League
10/31 2021 – Aston Villa 1 – 4 West Ham
Carabao Cup
10/27 2021 – West Ham (5)0 – 0(3) Manchester City
Premier League
10/24 2021 – West Ham 1 – 0 Tottenham
Europa League Grp. H
10/21 2021 – West Ham 3 – 0 KRC Genk
Premier League
10/17 2021 – Everton 0 – 1 West Ham
Genk – West Ham Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
The Londoners’ 3-0 win from the first leg a fortnight ago was the only competitive match between the two clubs so far. So there is no other “head to head” data available to factor into the prediction for Genk vs West Ham.
Genk – West Ham Tip
While KRC Genk won two away games last week by a total of 12:2 goals. However, the Belgians lost all five of their previous competitive matches, including the first leg in London (0:3). Accordingly, the Blauw-Witten, who are also only seventh in the Jupiler Pro League, are only outsiders against the in-form Hammers. West Ham go into this away game with eight wins from their last nine competitive matches.
In addition, the Irons are taking the competition extremely seriously, as evidenced by their maximum haul of nine points and 7-0 goals. In our opinion, there is no alternative to betting on an away win for the east Londoners.
