- Charleroi are in excellent form at home, winning their last two home games
Oud-Heverlee Leuven have won only one of their last five games, with one draw and three defeats
Leuven have won only two of their 19 First Division A 2024/2025 away games, losing nine
Charleroi can be a fortress again on Saturday
Royal Charleroi SC have been very consistent all season long and with 37 points from 39 games they sit at the top of the First Division A 2024-2025 table. Our Royal Charleroi SC vs Oud-Heverlee Leuven prediction reflects just how strong Charleroi have been in recent fixtures.
Rik De Mil has been in charge since 22nd March 2024 and has done a very good job with the club, tweaking the team’s tactical structure to suit the strengths of the players he has available.
Charleroi’s system is disciplined, yet gives their creative midfielders the freedom to express themselves and cause problems in the opposition’s box. Defender Stevance has been a big leader at the back, helping to keep a rock solid home record this season with the team conceding just 0.84 goals per game at the Stade du Pays.
The Zebras are a tough nut to crack, but have enough quality to create and score goals on the counter. This Royal Charleroi SC vs Oud-Heverlee Leuven prediction also highlights Morioka as the midfield dynamo who can provide the vision and creativity to start attacks, and Nikola Stulic as a finisher who has hit 7 First Division A goals in 9 appearances this season – he has 4 of the Zebras’ last 11.
Leuven are in a slump
Oud-Heverlee-Leuven sit fifth in the First Division A 2024-2025 table with 27 points from 39 matches, ten fewer than Charleroi.
Chris Coleman has done a solid job with the Kings since taking over on 30th November 2024, but he is yet to address the lack of potency in the final third of the pitch. For those seeking Royal Charleroi SC vs Oud-Heverlee Leuven betting tips, it's worth considering the lack of attacking power in Leuven's recent outings.
In the absence of a prolific goal scorer, it is midfielder Siebe Schrijvers who has been tasked with getting Leuven’s 13 away goals in the league in 19 away games and he has three in nine First Division A appearances this term.
Leuven’s style of play is more direct and wing-heavy and is likely to suit either a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 system, but can leave them vulnerable to the counter-attack. The Royal Charleroi SC vs Oud-Heverlee Leuven preview supports that their defensive weaknesses could be exposed by Charleroi’s quick transitions.
Goalkeeper Cojocaru will have to do a lot of work to keep the score down on Saturday.
Charleroi can win the midfield battle
This game has all the ingredients of a tight and tough matchup and our Royal Charleroi SC vs Oud-Heverlee Leuven prediction is that the most recent encounter between the two sides, during the Conference Group 2025 stage, ended 0-0. Leuven will need the ability to pass the ball over the top and in the air and the range of Xavier Mercier will be crucial to this.
However, De Mil is an adaptive coach and will adjust his team’s formation to match Leuven’s best style, if he deems it necessary. The odds of -161 for the home side are very low with Leuven being outsiders at +460.
The ‘No’ option in the ‘Both Teams to Score’ market is -322 and looks like a good alternative to the win markets for this game, given how tough Charleroi have been to beat at home this term.
