Royal Antwerp are the oldest club in Belgium, and they carry that history like a badge of honour. They’ve started the new Pro League season with a spring in their step, even if the results haven’t all been pretty. That 0-1 wobble against Walsall in a friendly? Forget it. That was a blip, a warm-up game with half an eye on the real stuff. The real stuff is the league, and Antwerp know how to grind. They’ve got a squad that’s been built to compete on two fronts, and the arrival of Maxime Busi from Reims adds real steel to that back four. He’s a proper defender, the kind who reads danger before it develops. With Devalckeneer in goal and a back line that includes Schelfhout and Tuypens, they look solid. They’re not flashy, but they’re effective. At the Bosuil, they’re a different animal. The crowd gets behind them, and they feed off that energy.

St. Truiden, or STVV, are the classic Belgian mid-table scrappers. They’ve got a Europa League qualifier against Omonia Nicosia coming up, which is a nice distraction, but it also means their focus might be split. They’re a team that likes to sit in, stay compact, and hit you on the break. They’ve got pace in wide areas, and they’re not afraid to get physical. But away from home, they can be passive. They’ll let you have the ball, and they’ll hope to nick something on the counter. That’s a risky game to play against a side like Antwerp, who have the quality to break down a low block. STVV’s recent form has been patchy, and they’ve struggled to find consistency. They’ll be organised, but they lack that cutting edge in the final third. This is a game where they’ll need to be perfect defensively, and that’s a big ask.