Anderlecht vs Cercle Brugge Prediction: Hosts must not drop points

Lotto Park will be the venue for the Jupiler Pro League action between Anderlecht and Cercle Brugge in matchweek 20. Both teams secured victories last weekend, and as they enter this fixture, they aim to maintain their positive momentum. Now, let's delve into a detailed analysis of this match and make a prediction.

Anderlecht enters this match on a positive note, securing a 2-1 victory against Genk in their previous First Division A fixture. In that match, Anderlecht held 45% possession and attempted 9 shots on goal, with 3 on target. Théo Leoni (74') and Anders Dreyer (91') were the goal-scorers for Anderlecht, while Alieu Fadera (70') found the net for Genk. Anderlecht has faced challenges in keeping clean sheets recently, conceding goals in 5 of their last 6 games. However, they have consistently found the back of the net in each of those matches.

Examining pre-match facts, Anderlecht has not suffered a defeat in their last 2 league matches against Cercle Brugge and remains unbeaten in their last 9 league matches at home.

Cercle Brugge heads into this match on the back of a convincing 3-0 victory over KV Kortrijk in their recent First Division A fixture. In that game, Cercle Brugge controlled 61% of possession and attempted 24 shots on goal, with 13 on target. Thibo Somers (45'), Kévin Denkey (47'), and Alan Minda (55') were the goal-scorers for Cercle Brugge, while Kortrijk managed 6 shots at goal, with only 1 on target. Over their last six matches, Miron Muslic's Cercle Brugge has scored a total of 9 goals, resulting in an average of 1.5 goals per game.

Observing the challenges faced by the team in green and black against title contenders becomes a difficult spectacle, especially considering their unfortunate history at Lotto Park. They have experienced defeat at the hands of Anderlecht in an incredible 12 out of 13 away visits. Taking all these factors into account, the belief is that the in-form Anderlecht will secure a narrow victory in front of their home fans, contributing to what is expected to be a low-scoring contest.