Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Conference League match.
Gent finished as the highest-ranked unseeded team from the group stage of the UEFA Conference League, meaning they will play the first leg at home. Real Betis, as the favourites, will look to secure an advantage, but this won’t be an easy match for the Spanish side.
Gent
Gent complicated their own path by losing to Larne (0:1), a Northern Irish side that had not earned a single point before that match. Had they won, they would have been seeded and had a theoretically easier draw. Their form in the Belgian Pro League has also been inconsistent—earlier this month, they secured an impressive win over Anderlecht (1:0) but struggled against a Mechelen side that had lost four straight matches (3:3).
Real Betis
Real Betis are only 11th in La Liga, yet Spanish football remains of a significantly higher standard than the Belgian top flight. However, Real Betis are far from their best. Since the start of 2025, they have faced only one top team (Athletic Bilbao, 2:2) and still struggled in the league, winning just once in five matches—a narrow 1:0 victory over Real Mallorca. The rest were defeats, raising concerns about their current form.
Gent vs Real Betis Prediction
Neither team is particularly convincing at the moment. Betis have the stronger squad on paper, but Gent’s home record is formidable—six wins, two draws, and just one defeat in their last nine matches at the Ghelamco Arena. The Belgian side should at least avoid defeat in the first leg.
