Standard coach Vincent Euvracht has labelled the upcoming match against KAA Gent as the biggest challenge of the season's start. The teams meet on Friday evening at the Planet Group Arena on matchday seven of the Jupiler Pro League.
Euvracht gave his view on the fixture two days before the trip to Gent. The Standard boss said: "That match is the biggest challenge of the start of the season." His side are coming off a defeat to Westerlo and now visit the league leaders. Standard currently sit in eleventh place in the table, with eight points from six matches. The Liege-based side have a goal difference of minus 1, having scored nine goals and conceded ten.
Injury woes for Gent
KAA Gent will have to face the clash without Laszlo Bénes. The Slovak midfielder is struggling with an ankle injury. He also missed last weekend's match at Racing Genk because of it. Coach Rik De Mil cannot call upon him again on Friday. De Mil confirmed the player is not yet fit and that his recovery is taking longer than initially hoped.
The Buffalos are defending an impressive run, however. They have remained unbeaten in twelve official matches in a row. In the league, they lead the table with nineteen points from seven games. They hold a three-point advantage over Union Saint-Gilloise. Gent have scored nineteen league goals so far, averaging nearly three per game, while conceding only six.
The most recent result was a 2-1 victory against Standard on 18 September. Josue Vergara and Christian Burgess scored the goals on that occasion. The full list of recent results and the current standings are available online.
Line-up and outlook
The absence of Bénes requires an adjustment in De Mil's midfield. The coach must tailor his line-up accordingly for the important home fixture. The squad for the upcoming matches can be checked on the squad page. In addition to Bénes, Gent are also managing a minor injury to defender Ismaël Kandouss, but he is expected to be available for the fixture.
After the match against Standard, KAA Gent face an away trip to Zulte Waregem on 10 October. That opponent currently sits fifth in the table. The last meeting between those clubs, in March this year, ended in a 2-0 win for Gent. For Standard, a home match against KV Mechelen follows after the Gent game.
The match against Standard kicks off on Friday evening at the Planet Group Arena. KAA Gent are aiming to continue their strong season start and extend their unbeaten run. Standard head coach Euvracht stressed that his team, despite the difficult start, are travelling to Gent with confidence and hope to put the defeat to Westerlo behind them.
Read the full report at Voetbalkrant.com
