Three reasons why AA Gent has no chance against ‘unbeatable’ Union (Gent)

The last time AA Gent won against Union in the competition dates back to February 15, 1970, when the Buffaloes won 1-0. A few months earlier, the Buffaloes even won with a nice 0-4 score when visiting Union. Ghent last beat Union in the cup in 1985. Wouter Vrancken’s team has the opportunity to repeat that performance tonight and thus ensure that the Ghent cup campaign continues after the New Year.

Daniel Schmidt is eager for revenge

Since signing for AA Gent at the beginning of January, Daniel Schmidt has not really been able to enjoy his stay with the Buffaloes. The ex-STVV goalkeeper soon lost the competitive battle to Davy Roef and he only managed this in four games. Last week he made a surprising start on the Swiss artificial grass in Thun and, just like against Rochefort, Wouter Vrancken is in principle also counting on the Japanese goalie for the cup match against Union. Last week, Schmidt conceded an annoying goal after just five minutes and proved unable to prevent the defeat against Lugano, but he does not immediately have to worry. Wouter Vrancken rates Schmidt very highly and without a doubt will certainly not drop him immediately. The match in the Dudenpark presents itself as an excellent opportunity to thank the Ghent coach for that trust.

The pressure is in the Brussels camp

Union has not yet lost to the Buffalos since the Brussels team regained their place in the highest football class. Although Union got the home advantage, the Buffaloes may also be able to gain some confidence from the following statistic: the last four mutual matches each ended in a draw. Since there is no return match on the programme, there must be a winner anyway and then it can also go to penalties. Perhaps Davy Roef will emerge as an expert on the subject, but Daniel Schmidt also knows his way around eleven meters.

Max Dean remains his cheerful scoring self

With 10 goals in 18 official matches in Ghent employment, Max Dean is the best scoring attacker for the Buffaloes this season. Only Omri Gandelman comes close to his statistics. The jovial Englishman plays very uninhibited and rarely seems impressed by the circumstances. Whether it is a match at Stamford Bridge or a match in a drizzly Duden Park, Dean always remains himself. Thanks to his goal-oriented personality and a highly developed instinct, he is undoubtedly essential for Ghent’s goal production. Against static defenders such as Christian Burgess and Ross Sykes, the small agile striker – if positioned properly – should undoubtedly be able to make a big impact, but Dean also often proves to be a very interesting weapon as a super sub. Moreover, last weekend in Westerlo he proved once again that he can also keep his cool from the penalty spot and that can also be very useful in a cup match.