Our prediction for this Belgium Pro League match:
Friday’s football game between St. Truiden and Antwerp will open round 15 of the new Jupiler League campaign. The Canaries are undefeated in the previous three league matches, but the bookies still see them as underdogs in the clash with Antwerp. A man to keep an eye on in the home team will be Mauritania forward Aboubakary Koita, who scored a brace in a 3-3 draw with Westerlo before the international break, while there are no fresh injury worries in the home team.
The reigning champions, on the other hand, rolled over Standard Liege 6-0 in their last league match to stay in the title race. As Antwerp are eleven points behind league leaders St Gilloise in the standings, they face yet another must-win situation against St. Truiden and we predict that Mark van Bommel’s troops are going to prove their worth on the field. Both Anthony Valencia and Mandela Keita are sidelined with injuries, while Jacob Ondrejka and Sam Vines are major doubts.
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.