What happened?
After the draw in the first leg, KAA Gent will have to play away against Tsjerkasy, their opponent in the second round of the Conference League. Follow the match on Thursday from 20:30.
Preparation for the Ukrainian pressure
However, the situation will be different in the second leg, where the Ukrainian vice-champion will have to come more to qualify. That would be in favor of the Gent players.
'I expect them again to show a lot of intensity from the start and put us under high pressure.'
'In those moments we can get into one-on-one situations and get chances to exploit the spaces. We have prepared for their pressing, but have focused mainly on our automatism.'
0-0 draw in the first leg
In the first leg, KAA Gent was unable to find an opening in a well-organized Ukrainian block of Tsjerkasy. They also kept their cool and ended up with a scoreless draw.
'They played with a lot of intensity at the start of the game and put us under high pressure. As the minutes went by, their intensity and pressure decreased and they played as a block, in a more compact way', explained De Mil in the press conference before the second leg.
What's next?
Gent needs to score to qualify for the third round of the Conference League. The Gent players have a tough task ahead of them, but have prepared for the Ukrainian attack.
Recent results
League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 4th in Jupiler Pro League, 45 pts, 13W-6D-11L from 30 games, recent form WLDDD.
Goals this season: 49 scored, 43 conceded (+6 goal difference).
Title race: 21 points behind leaders Union St. Gilloise.
Next fixture: vs St. Truiden (away, 2027-02-13) (3rd in the table).
