Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht take on Austrian club FC Salzburg in UEFA Europa League action at Lotto Park in Brussels on Thursday. This is the fourth matchday of the league phase.

Anderlecht are fifth in the Belgian Pro League standings, with 19 points from 10 games, eight points behind league leaders Club Brugge.

Anderlecht won their most recent top-flight encounter 4-1 at home against Westerlo on Saturday.

Paars-wit‘s Europa League form has been inconsistent, with one win and two losses in their first three games of the season, leaving them 22nd in the league-phase table with three points.

Vítor Bruno’s side kicked off their European campaign with a 2-1 home loss against French club Lyon, following that up with a 1-0 defeat against Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.

The Belgians finally got some points on the board in matchday three, when they traveled to face Jagiellonia in Poland, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory and three points on 22 October.

The visitors emerged victorious at Chorten Arena thanks to goals from Mihajlo Cvetković, Marten Winkler, and Jayden Onia Seke.

Meanwhile, FC Salzburg are second in the Austrian Bundesliga, with 27 points from 11 games, three points behind table-topping Rapid Vienna.

The Austrians come into this Europa League game off the back of a 5-1 home win over A. Lustenau in league action on Sunday.

Red Bull Salzburg have won one, drawn one, and lost one of their three Europa League matches thus far.

The Austrians opened their campaign with a solid 1-0 away victory over Levski Sofia, before being brought back down to earth when Italian giants AC Milan came to town and beat them 4-0.

Die Rotten Bullen‘s most recent Europa League match on October 22 ended 2-2 away to Slovenian club NK Celje. Those four points mean that Salzburg are 21st in the league-phase table, one place above their Belgian opponents this week.

Anderlecht vs FC Salzburg head-to-head stats and key numbers

Anderlecht and RB Salzburg have met only twice in history, with each side securing a victory.
The two matches took place in the first round of the 1997-98 UEFA Cup, with Anderlecht winning the first leg 4-3 and Salzburg emerging victorious in the second leg, with a 4-2 scoreline.
Following this match against Salzburg, Anderlecht will take on OFI Crete, Hoffenheim, Sunderland, and Marseille in their remaining league-phase matches.
After this week’s encounter, Salzburg will play against Ararat-Armenia, Sparta Praha, Bayer Leverkusen, and Crystal Palace in the league phase of the competition.

Anderlecht vs FC Salzburg prediction

We expect these opponents to produce an open and entertaining encounter, with both sides prioritizing attack over defense.

Anderlecht are tactically disciplined and capable of making life difficult for Salzburg at Lotto Park, but the Austrians will press in search of opportunities as they aim to disrupt Anderlecht’s build-up from the back.

We expect this encounter to end in a narrow victory for the home side.

Prediction: Anderlecht 2-1 FC Salzburg