For our Anderlecht vs. Ludogorets prediction, we're going for a 2-0 win (AET) for the home side.
Anderlecht and Ludogorets clash heads in attempt to make the Europa Conference League quarterfinals on Thursday with the tie still firmly in the balance.
Anderlecht reached the last 16 of the Europa Conference League by finishing second in Group B, a group containing West Ham United, Silkeborg and FCSB.
They enter this game having fallen to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Razgrad and will be mightily annoyed to have left Bulgaria empty handed having enjoyed 70% of the possession while registering 16 shots on goal to Ludogorets' 6.
Anderlecht then followed up that result with another disappointing one at the weekend as they were held to a 2-2 draw away at Kortrijk, currently down in 14th place in the Belgian Pro League.
It's been a tough season for Belgian giants who've not only failed to make a significant impact on the league but have woefully underperformed domestically as they find themselves 9th in the league table and a whopping twenty-eight points behind leaders Genk.
Their overall form is average heading into this game too, having won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five matches in all competitions.
Anderlecht's only hope of achieving something memorable this season comes in this competition but it remains to be seen whether or not they can leave their league form at home and produce the performances necessary to make a late run in this competition. They've only won two of their last ten home games in all competitions so, unfortunately, a round of 16 exit is looking fairly likely here.
Ludogorets reached the Europa Conference League round of 16 by finishing 3rd in Group C of the Europa League, a group containing Real Betis, AS Roma and HJK Helsinki.
A 9th minute goal from Thiago was enough for The Bulgarian side to see off Anderlecht in the first leg and while they were put to the sword for periods of the last game they can feel confident ahead of this one considering their opponent's struggles at home.
They enter this game in impressive form having won all three of their games following the resumption of their season post World Cup/winter break, the most recent of which was a 2-1 win over Slavia Sofia at the weekend courtesy of a dramatic stoppage-time winner.
Ludogorets have been strong away from home, too, having won each of their last four competitive matches on the road.
It's true that the Bulgarians were outplayed by Anderlecht for large parts of the first leg, and that may weight heavily on their minds here but Anderlecht have really struggled on home turf lately and amidst a highly disappointing season there is really pressure on the Belgians to perform here. We could be in for a long night with extra-time no doubt on the cards, but whoever wins here will likely do so by a slim margin.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our previews, tips and offers for this weekend’s action.
