In the first game of the 2025-26 Belgian Pro League season, Royal Antwerp are set to host Union Saint-Gillosie on Friday night.
The home side finished fifth last season, while the visitors won the title in dramatic circumstances on the final day of the campaign.
Antwerp will have been disappointed with their efforts last season considering it was their lowest finish in six seasons.
Thus it’s no surprise to see the Reds under new management this season, with Stef Wils the new man in charge.
As for Union SG, they will come into the new campaign as the defending champions for the first time since 1935 following last season’s title triumph.
Sebastien Pocognoli has since strengthened his squad, with Adem Zorgane and Raul Florucz the most notable of the new arrivals at the Joseph Marien Stadium.
How the bookies view it: Union to get up and running
The bookmakers’ odds suggest that Union Saint-Gillosie will hit the ground running on Friday night, with an away win priced up at even-money (1/1) on Boylesports.
Meanwhile, Royal Antwerp come into Friday night’s curtain-raiser as 21/10 outsiders on Boylesports while a share of the Bosuilstadion spoils can be backed at 12/5 with the same firm.
Head to head: Close contest on the cards?
The two teams have crossed paths 34 times, each claiming 14 victories, while the other six encounters have ended all square.
It is worth noting that Union SG won each of the previous two meetings with room to spare, cruising to 5-1 and 4-0 wins respectively. That makes the aforementioned even-money (Boylesorts) about an away victory a good value option on Friday night.
Players to watch: David to deliver?
After ending last season with 24 goals across his 41 appearances in all competitions, Union SG forward Promise David looks well worthy of support as an anytime goalscorer option on Friday night at 7/4 on Betfred.
Former Tottenham forward Vincent Janssen is expected to lead the line for Royal Antwerp on Friday night. The Dutch attacker heads the anytime goalscorer market for the hosts here at 9/5 with Betfred.
Predicted line-ups
New Antwerp boss Wils could be without as many as four players on Friday night, including former Leicester midfielder Dennis Praet.
Union SG will come into their opening league game of the season with a relatively clean bill of health, with defender Guillaume Francois the only reported absentee.
Royal Antwerp: Lammens; Renders, Van Den Bosch, Engels, Corbanie; Doumbia,Verstraeten; Kerk, Balikwisha, Kerk; Bayo
Union Saint-Gillosie: Chambaere; Mac Allister, Burgess, Leysen; Castro-Montes, Van De Vanhoutte, Perre, Niang; El Hadj; Ivanovic, David
Anything else catch the eye?
The 10/11 on Boylesports for Union SG to score two or more goals on Friday night holds plenty of appeal.
This bet would have paid out in nine of the visitors’ final 14 league games en route to winning last season’s title.
As already mentioned, this selection would have been a winning one in each of the last two meetings between the pair, with Union racking up a combined total of nine strikes across those two contests.
GambleAware