Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Belgian Pro League match.
The new Belgian Pro League season gets underway with a meeting between Royal Antwerp, who finished fifth last season, and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, the newly crowned champions.
Royal Antwerp
Two seasons ago, Royal Antwerp lifted the Belgian title but have finished no higher than fifth in the two campaigns since. That placement was enough to earn them a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round, which allowed them to take a more measured approach to pre-season preparations. The team is now led by Stef Wils, a club stalwart who has worked his way up through all levels of the organisation to take charge of the senior squad.
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
After several seasons of coming close, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise finally ended a 90-year wait to win the league title. One of the key figures behind that triumph, Sébastien Pocognoli, remains at the helm. Last season was his first in charge of a senior squad, and unsurprisingly, the team has already experienced some significant departures. Koki Machida, Mohamed Amoura, and Noah Sadiki have all left, bringing in a combined fee of €36.5 million. Their replacements include Adem Zorgane from Royal Charleroi Sporting Club and Raul Florucz, with the club investing less than €10 million for both.
Royal Antwerp vs Royale Union Saint-Gilloise Prediction
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise opened their competitive season with a 2:1 loss to Club Brugge KV in the Belgian Super Cup—a bit of a revenge match for last year's encounter. However, Club Brugge KV are a far stronger squad than Royal Antwerp, having thrashed them 4:0 away from home in May. While a similar scoreline is unlikely, a comfortable win for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise is the expected outcome.
