Europa League | League Stage

Sep 25, 2024 at 8pm UK

Lotto Park

Anderlecht vs Ferencvarosi

Match preview

After a year away from European competition, Anderlecht are now competing in the Europa League for the first time since 2018-19 courtesy of 2-0 aggregate victory over Dinamo Minsk in the playoff round last month.

Since beating the Belarusian outfit, the Mauves have failed to come out on top in any of their last four Belgian Pro League matches, and a 2-0 home defeat to Genk ultimately proved to be the final nail in the coffin for head coach Brian Riemer, who was sacked last Thursday after nearly two years at the helm due to 'insufficient' team performances.

Thirty-six-year-old David Hubert has since been placed in caretaker charge, stepping up from his role as Under-18s boss, and was in the dugout for the senior team's goalless stalemate with Charleroi on Saturday.

After finishing third in the Belgian Pro League Champions' playoffs last season, Anderlecht now find themselves sitting sixth in the current top-flight standings with 13 points from eight matches, but they are only three points behind league leaders Genk.

Hubert is tasked with turning Anderlecht's form around as they alternate between domestic and Europa League duties in their next four fixtures. The Mauves head into Wednesday's clash with Ferencvaros having failed to win any of their last eight Europa League matches, losing and drawing four games each.

Ferencvaros won their sixth consecutive Nemzeti Bajnoksag I title - and 35th in their history - last season, finishing a comfortable 16 points ahead of their nearest challengers, and they have since made a perfect start to the new campaign, winning each of their opening five Hungarian top-flight matches.

The Greens were forced to come from behind to claim maximum points against MTK Budapest last weekend, with goals from Barnabas Varga, Raul Gustavo and Matheus Saldanha securing a 3-1 away victory.

Pascal Jansen's side are sure to have one eye on this weekend's top-of-the-table showdown with Puskas Akademia, but they must first turn their attention to their third Europa League campaign in four seasons. They reached the knockout round playoff of the Conference League last season, but lost 2-0 on aggregate to eventual champions Olympiacos.

Ferencvaros missed out on qualifying for the Champions League earlier this season, as they suffered a 3-1 aggregate defeat to FC Midtjylland in the third qualifying round, but they have secured their spot in the newly-expanded Europa League courtesy of a 3-2 penalty-shootout triumph over Bosnian outfit FK Borac Banja Luka in the playoff round, following a 1-1 draw over two legs.

The Greens will fancy their chances of success against Anderlecht on Wednesday, as they have never lost a major European match against a team from Belgium, winning two and drawing four; they have never faced teams from the same country more often whilst remaining unbeaten.

Injuries and suspensions

Anderlecht

14 Jan Vertonghen

6 Ludwig Augustinsson

55 Marco Kana

11Thorgan Hazard

36 Anders Dreyer

Ferencvarosi

No sidelined players

Possible starting lineups

Anderlecht

26Coosemans(GK)

54 Sardella(DR)

4 Simic(DC)

13Jorgensen(DC)

5 N'Diaye(DL)

32 Dendoncker(MD)

23 Rits(MD)

10 Verschaeren(AMC)

29 Stroeykens(AMR)

27 Edozie(AML)

12 Dolberg(FW)

Ferencvaros(4-2-3-1)

90 Dibusz（GK）

25Makreckis(DR)

27Cisse(DC)

34Gustavo(DC)

99Ramirez(DL)

80Habib Maiga(MD)

88Rommens(MD)

20Traore(AMR)

16Zachariassen(AMC)

24Kehinde(AML)

19 Varga(FW)