Royal Antwerp welcome Charleroi to Bosuilstadion on Thursday evening in a one-off Belgium Pro League playoff showdown, with a European place hanging in the balance.
Having placed fifth in the championship round standings, the Great Old were handed the chance to host this decider by rule, as they go up against the winners of the qualifying bracket.
Match preview
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After ending the champions playoff with 32 points, four fewer than fourth-placed Anderlecht, Antwerp find themselves fortunate to still be in the mix thanks to Club Brugge's Belgian Cup triumph, which opened the door for another European slot.
That was the exact number of points the Reds amassed in the 2023-24 campaign when they finished sixth and missed out entirely, but a slight climb up the table and favourable results elsewhere this time around proved just enough to grant Andries Ulderink's side a shot at redemption.
However, their performances in the just-concluded phase were far from convincing, with Antwerp registering only two victories alongside three draws from 10 outings, ending the section without making any significant climb.
Back at home, the mood around Bosuilstadion has hardly been one of comfort, given the Great Old are currently enduring a seven-match winless run at the ground, five of which ended in defeat.
They only managed six goals across that miserable stretch, while conceding 15 – including seven in just their last two appearances – laying bare their vulnerabilities at the back.
This defensive record is particularly concerning given Antwerp's last meeting with Charleroi on their own patch ended in a 3-1 defeat, a sobering result that brought an end to a three-match winning streak in this fixture, two of which came at home.
Nonetheless, Ulderink's men showed grit in their most recent outing, earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at Brugge, with Michel-Ange Balikwisha opening the scoring on 35 minutes before the hosts responded eight minutes later.
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This encounter caps a journey of real progress for Charleroi, who bounced back from fighting for survival in the previous campaign to now standing within reach of a European ticket.
Having topped the relegation playoff in 2023-24, the Zebras took a giant leap forward this term by securing 10th spot in the regular season and storming to triumph in the qualifying group with six victories, three draws and just one loss from 10 games.
Mehdi Bayat's men sealed their playoff section with a 2-1 success over Leuven, extending a rich vein of results that has now seen them win four of their last five outings while scoring 12 and conceding just seven in the process.
Despite their overall resurgence, Charleroi's away record leaves something to be desired, having managed just a single victory from their last six trips, drawing three and losing two.
Team News
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Antwerp will once again be without long-term absentee Bjorn Engels, who remains sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury that has ruled him out of action throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Vincent Janssen continues to nurse a meniscus tear and will not be involved, while midfielder Anthony Valencia is also unavailable as he recovers from a cruciate ligament issue.
Gerard Vandeplas and Orseer Achihi will not play any part in Thursday's high-stakes showdown either, with both players missing out for undisclosed reasons.
In Janssen's continued absence, the attacking weight falls firmly on Tjaronn Chery, who has stepped up this season and leads the club's scoring chart with 14 goals in the league.
There is uncertainty over the availability of Nikola Stulic after Charleroi's 16-goal top scorer was taken off at half time in their previous outing, raising questions ahead of this high-stakes contest.
Should he not feature, Alexandre Stanic could be handed a starting role, having stepped off the bench to net the winner after replacing the Serbian.
Elsewhere, Massamba Sow, Aiham Ousou and Grejohn Kyei all remain on the treatment table and will play no part as they continue their respective recoveries.
Royal Antwerp possible starting lineup:
Lammens; Riedewald, Odoi, Van Den Bosch, Renders; Doumbia, Praet; Deman, Balikwisha, Scott; Chery
Charleroi possible starting lineup:
Delavallee; Petris, Andreou, Keita, Dragsnes; Titraoui, Camara; Rogelj, Heymans, Guiagnon; Stulic
We say: Royal Antwerp 1-2 Charleroi
Charleroi come into this decider with momentum and attacking sharpness, while Antwerp's poor home run and defensive issues remain a concern.
The visitors' recent consistency and belief could see them edge a tense contest and snatch a European ticket on the road.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
