Antwerp v Club Brugge
🏟
Sunday 15th May – 12:30PM KO
Reigning champions Club Brugge made a huge step towards retaining their Pro League crown after beating title rivals Union Saint-Gilloise for the second time in four days midweek. Club Brugge have been fantastic in the latter stages of the season, and their relentless winning in the last few months has overhauled a double-digit points deficit to allow them to overtake the side from Brussels.
Today’s visitors now have the title all in their own hands, and need just three points from their final two games no matter what happens in Union’s remaining two games, thanks to Union having had their half-point rounded up at the start of these play-offs. They have not lost a Pro League game since February 13th, a run of 12 games unbeaten, 11 of these being wins.
Le Club may have been slightly fortunate to come through both games against Union with 6 points, having seem Dante Vanzeir miss a penalty at 0-0 in the first game, and being under serious pressure at points in both games, but ultimately these are title winning players who have performed admirably against some of the best sides in Europe in the Champions League, and this experience has ultimately got them over the line.
The 17-time Belgian champions could not have picked a more favourable matchup with the title on the line either, whilst second-placed Union are facing a strong and confident Anderlecht side that have lost only once in the play-offs so far, they are against a side that has fallen apart somewhat, and is now guaranteed to finish last in the group. The end to the season has been extremely disappointing, and the players are no doubt just wanting the season to end.
As alluded to, Antwerp are the direct opposite to the side from Bruges, now having won only 3 of their last 10 Pro League games, and have not won any of their last 5. This run of 5 games has seen Antwerp score only twice, conceding 8 goals. After looking to be firmly in the title race early in the new year, they have won back-to-back games only once since February this year, a really poor return for a side in the top-4.
They have scored twice in the same fixture just once since February 2nd, a 2-1 win against bottom-of-the-table Beerschot. They lost 4-1 to Club Brugge in the second of their regular season fixtures against the reigning champions, and they fell to a 1-0 defeat away to today’s visitors again in this championship play-off.
There seems to be only one winner here. With the league’s most in-form side up against the worst performing side in the entire play-offs, knowing a single win will lead them to the title, there can surely be only one outcome. At odds as high as 1.73, there is excellent value in backing an away win here.
⚽
Prediction: Club Brugge to Win, 1.73 on Betfair (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Anderlecht v Union Saint-Gilloise
🏟
Sunday 15th May – 5:30PM KO
Sadly, it does seem like the fairy-tale story is not going to have a happy ending. Newly promoted Union Saint-Gilloise last won a league title in the 1930’s, and had not played top-flight football since the 1970’s, yet they have been top of the table from matchday 11, all the way through until the third round of the play-offs. The Tony Bloom-owned side looked to be champions-elect for most of the season, but the halving of the points ahead of the play-offs and an inconsistent end to the season has ultimately cost them.
Union must win this game to have any chance of staying in the title race, but they now need last year’s title winners Club Brugge to drop points in both of their remaining two games for them to steal back in and claim a first title in just under a century. They face a tough test here however, with Anderlecht in great form during this play-off campaign.
The hosts are the only side to take points from Club Brugge since February, and have just won both games against Antwerp to guarantee entry into next season’s Conference League at the third qualifying round. Vincent Kompany’s side have blown hot and cold throughout the season, but on their day are more than a match for any side.
They also now sit just four points behind Union, and a win here means they will go into the final game of the season just one point behind. Should Union drop points, a win would allow Anderlecht to go above their cross-city rivals and steal their Champions League spot, a prize worth a huge amount to both players and the club as a whole, with the opportunity to play in the group stage offering enormous sums of money for any Belgian club.
Anderlecht have lost only twice in their last 13 games, a run including 9 wins, and 5 games where they scored 3 or more goals. Their home form is even more impressive, they have won 6 of their last 7, the one exception a 0-0 draw against Club Brugge in which they were certainly the better side. The 6 wins featured at least 2 goals for the hosts, and half of these 6 saw 3 or more.
This impressive scoring form has been replicated throughout the season with the team averaging 2.26 goals per game at home. This is paired however with 1.05 goals conceded per game, and they have seen both sides score in 63% of their games at Lotto Park in 2021-22, their defensive frailty being their undoing all season long. They are the division’s second-highest scorers, but they have not been able to convert this into a serious title challenge at any point.
Union meanwhile have an exceptional away record, scoring 45 points from a possible 57 this season, 5 points more than any other side in the division. They average an enormous 2.42 goals per game on the road, with the next best side boasting only 2 goals per game away from home.
Over 2.5 goals would have landed as in just under two-thirds of Union’s away games this season, 11 of 19. It has also landed in 3 of their 4 Brussels derbies this season, including the return leg in these play-offs, a 3-1 win for Union at the Stade Joseph Marien.
Both sides have a massive incentive to win, and a draw will ensure Union cannot win the title, and also will ensure Anderlecht cannot overhaul Union for the chance to play in the Champions League next season. There should definitely be goals here, with the league’s two most effective attacking sides facing off. This would be a five-star selection, but the potential for the title to be decided earlier in the day when Brugge play Antwerp means the dynamics could be slightly different come kick-off.
⚽
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals, 1.85 on Betfair (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Written by an Andy verified content writer
18+ please gamble responsibly.
Back the Four and Five Star Selections as a Double on Betfair ⬇️
🧾
Load the bet slip @ 3.24 at Betfair
*Bet link only appears when accessing from mobile.
Haven’t got a Betfair account? You’re in luck…
Sign up to Betfair and get a full refund if your first bet loses. Grab an account through the offer below and place £20 on the 2/1 Belgian Pro League Best Bets Double. Here are the two possible outcomes:
✅
You win £65 cash if it wins
🔄
Or you get your £20 stake back as cash
