It's never a good sign when your manager says that you have "zero chance" to win a match. Not only does KAA Gent have to find a way to beat Wolfsburg on Tuesday night to keep its Champions League hopes alive, but it has to get at least two, and likely at least three in the back of the net to do so.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Wolfsburg -175
KAA Gent +485
Draw +330
Over/Under 2.5 (over -150)
ODDS ANALYSIS
Wolfsburg knows that it can play this match a little closer to the vest. It takes a 3-2 lead back home to Volkswagen Arena, and anything short of a catastrophe will still see it into the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
That's not stopping the oddsmakers from believing this two-legged tie is going to get worse. The Wolves are -175 moneyline favorites and are favored by a full goal on the Asian Handicap.
The total is understandably higher considering the fact that the Belgian reps really have to go for it. The number to beat is 2.5 with -150 vig on the over.
THE FIRST LEG
The good news for Gent, if there is any, is that it gave itself a bit of a lifeline at the tail end of the first leg. Julian Draxler scored on either side of halftime to back himself a brace, while Max Kruse seemed to put this tie away once and for all with the third goal at Ghelamco Arena.
Instead, Gent fought back with not just one, but two late shows, getting goals from Sven Kums in the 80th and Kalifa Couilbaly in the 89th to at least leave itself with a chance.
That said, this is still a really tall task. Wolfsburg isn't likely to only have 40 percent of the possession as it did in the first meeting, and it's even more unlikely that Gent gets six shots on target as it did at home.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"No, there's zero percent chance. Zero percent. Because if we play like we did today, if we can't adapt to this level of duel, we have no chance in Germany. It's up to my players to show that their coach is wrong. But all 11 have to be at their top level." – KAA Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck on whether his team has the ability to come back from down 3-2 to beat Wolfsburg
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It's really tough to argue with a team's manager when it says there's no chance to ultimately win a match, and we have to think that he's right. Vanhaezebrouck's team was nowhere to be found in that match against Wolfsburg for the first hour or so before the Wolves basically took their foot off the gas pedal.
There will be no such accident this time around. Gent isn't anywhere near as physical of a side as its German counterpart, and Wolfsburg and its fans are set to celebrate its first trip to the quarterfinals of the Champions League in club history.
Don't be stunned if Kruse once again leads a big offensive charge for the boys in green to get a goal or two early to put away this tie once and for all. This time, there will be no coming back for Gent as there was in Belgium. We suspect the last half hour of this match will be incredibly drab for viewers, but that'll suit Wolfsburg bettors just fine.
Wolfsburg 2, KAA Gent 0
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between Wolfsburg and KAA Gent is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at 2:45 p.m. ET at Volkswagen Arena. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 2.
