Our prediction for this Belgium Pro League match:
Antwerp will look to overtake St. Gilloise in second place in the Jupiler League table when they take on Mechelen on Matchday 28. Antwerp are a real force to be reckoned with at home, and you should know that they are eyeing their 11th home win of the process. Both Toby Alderweireld and Ritchie De Laet are back from suspensions, while Abnor Muja remains in the recovery room. Both Sam Vines and Yusuf Abdullahi are major doubts.
The visitors, on the other hand, booked their place in the Belgian Cup final by beating ten-man Waregem on Tuesday evening. Rayyane Falchou remains on the sidelines through personal reasons, while Julien Ngoy is widely expected to return to the starting XI. Anyhow, home win should be considered as over the years Antwerp have turned their Bosuilstadion into a real fortress. In the first half of the season Antwerp defeated Mechelen 2-0.
Highlighted Team (Antwerp):
Founded back in 1880, Antwerp is one of the oldest clubs in Belgium. The Great Old welcome their rivals at Bosuilstadion, the venue with the capacity of 16,144 people. Antwerp are well known for their red home kits, with the team wearing white shirts and white jerseys when playing on the travels.
Over the years Antwerp have been trying to close the gap between Belgian giants Anderlecht and Club Brugge, but they have yet to win the title in the recent history. The Great Old clinched their first domestic trophy back in 1929, with the team repeating the success two years later. The third and the fourth titles came in 1944 and 1957 respectively.
Beerschot A.C. are considered the club’s fiercest rivals, but they have a rivalry with Club Brugge as well. The club chiefs had a long-term partnership with famous English club Manchester United in the past, with Antwerp taking young footballers on loan to Old Trafford.