Antwerp vs Royal Union SG Tips & Preview - Champions to begin title defence with away win

By Tolu Shotade

23 Jul 2025

Tolu Shotade 23 Jul 2025

Share this article

Royal Union SG kick off title defence against Antwerp on Friday.
Antwerp finished fifth last season; strong preseason form.
Both teams struggling defensively; likely high-scoring match.

Antwerp vs Royal Union SG

Royal Union SG begin their Belgian Pro League title defence with a Friday night trip to Antwerp.

The champions will be looking to hit the ground running and also boast a solid record in this fixture. They should have the upper hand over the hosts, who are often unconvincing in front of their fans.

Antwerp News

Antwerp finished fifth in the championship round last season and will aim to improve on that this term. They come into the opening fixture having looked solid in preseason, claiming 2-0 victories over Willem II and Eupen.

One of the issues for Antwerp last season was their struggles at home. Stef Wils’ team ended the season without a win in their final eight matches in front of their fans, suffering six defeats on this run.

Antwerp also tend to struggle defensively at home and are without a clean sheet in their last nine league matches at Bosuilstadion. However, they have scored in six matches on this run while six of those fixtures have also produced over 2.5 goals.

Royan Union SG News

Royal Union SG will be targeting a positive start to their title defence after winning their 12th Belgian Championship last season. Sebastian Pocognoli’s team were solid enough in preseason but suffered a 2-1 defeat to Club Brugge in the Belgian Super Cup last weekend.

The Champions hit some good form in the final weeks of last season and were particularly impressive on their travels. They earned five straight away wins to end the campaign, claiming a 4-0 victory at Antwerp in their final fixture on the road.

Royal Union SG often impress going forward and have scored in their last nine matches across all competitions. However, they are without a clean sheet in five of the last six fixtures on this run, while four of their last six away league matches have produced over 2.5 goals.

Head to Head

Royal Union SG have six wins and three draws while Antwerp have been victorious just three times in the last 12 matches. The champions did the double over their rivals last season, winning 5-1 at home before a 4-0 away victory in the reverse fixture.

Verdict

Antwerp v Union Saint Gilloise

Antwerp and Royal Union SG often look unconvincing at the back, a trait that has seen their last four matches produce over 2.5 goals. Both teams have also scored in three of those fixtures, and this clash could be set to follow a similar pattern.

Royal Union SG often come out on top against Antwerp and earned dominant victories in both meetings last season. Given their impressive away record, they should have the upper hand in Friday's season opener.

Yes

Both Teams to Score

@-161.29 - 3 Units

25 SC no deposit & 250,000 GC

Use promo code NEWBONUS

Get 25 Stake Cash & 250,000 Gold Coins when you sign up with code NEWBONUS at Stake.us. USA only. Excludes certain States including NY,NV,ID, KY,WA. 18+ only. Terms and Conditions apply.

Bet at Stake.com

Over 2.5

Total Goals

@-133.33 - 3 Units

25 SC no deposit & 250,000 GC

Use promo code NEWBONUS

Get 25 Stake Cash & 250,000 Gold Coins when you sign up with code NEWBONUS at Stake.us. USA only. Excludes certain States including NY,NV,ID, KY,WA. 18+ only. Terms and Conditions apply.

Bet at Stake.com

Royal Union SG

To Win

@112.00 - 2 Units

25 SC no deposit & 250,000 GC

Use promo code NEWBONUS

Get 25 Stake Cash & 250,000 Gold Coins when you sign up with code NEWBONUS at Stake.us. USA only. Excludes certain States including NY,NV,ID, KY,WA. 18+ only. Terms and Conditions apply.

Bet at Stake.com