Royal Antwerp will be part of a continental competition for the first time in 66 years when they host AEK Athens. The Belgian champions enter the tournament at the final qualification hurdle. Their Greek visitors had to overcome Dinamo Zagreb in the most dramatic of circumstances in round three.
Previews (Antwerp vs AEK Athens)
Royal Antwerp defeated Club Brugge and their other championship challengers in the playoffs. Despite ending three points behind Genk and Union SG in the regular-season standings of the Belgian Pro League. This was the club’s first top-flight victory since 1957. Antwerp is back in the spotlight 66 years after their first campaign in the European Cup. It ended prematurely with an 8-1 first-round aggregate defeat to the eventual winners Real Madrid. With domestic popularity comes a road into Champions League competition.
Istanbul Basaksehir defeated them in their effort to advance to the Europa Conference League. Antwerp has gradually emerged from the doldrums to reach the Europa League group stage. Antwerp has been playing under Dutch legend Mark van Bommel since 2022. They have already won another trophy this season after defeating KV Mechelen in the Belgian Super Cup. Their title defense could have started more successfully.
Dominik Livakovic saved a Levi Garcia penalty, but Domagoj Vida was there to score on the rebound. It makes the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper’s heroic save insignificant. Matias Almeyda’s team was on the verge of elimination when they entered second-half injury time 2-0 down. Robert Ljubicic and Josip Sutalo’s efforts, but a Sergio Araujo goal came before an incredible victory from former Dinam
Few could have imagined such an incredible outcome for Saturday’s European match. As Vida sent his former team to Europa League play. AEK Athens stayed in the running for their first Champions League group-stage appearance since the 2018–19 campaign. They unavoidably lost to the superiority of Ajax, Benfica, and Bayern Munich. Although the teams have not previously met in a meaningful match, the fact that AEK Athens has only ever won one of their previous 12 matches against Belgian opposition gives Van Bommel’s team some optimism for a protracted Champions League journey.
Team News
The current captain of the Antwerp attack is former Tottenham Hotspur striker Vincent Janssen. He scored against Leuven for the fourth time this season before leaving the game. Although Janssen is not believed to be suffering from a serious injury, Van Bommel has some worries about the goalkeeping combo of Ortwin De Wolf (finger) and Davino Verhulst (eye), who will also miss Tuesday’s historic match. Bjorn Engels, the center back, also has an Achilles problem, so Toby Alderweireld must take on the defensive load. Meanwhile, some of Arthur Vermeeren’s supporters may be watching how he performs as the number six defender.
Given their postponed third-round match, AEK Athens has not yet had to worry about domestic obligations, and Almeyda should bring the same team to the Bosuilstadion. Only Spanish winger Paolo Fernandes, 25, should be absent as he recovers from an Achilles problem that could keep him out until 2024. Nordin Amrabat, whose brother Sofyan Amrabat has been at the center of a contentious transfer scuffle between some of Europe’s top clubs recently, will fill his spot.
After Saturday’s incredible development, AEK Athens’ feelings may still be raw, but Almeyda’s players should still put Antwerp to the test against a squad that hasn’t exactly been dripping in success lately. We can envision the Belgian champions heading to Athens with a slim advantage to defend, but fatigue from a lengthy trip to Belgium should ultimately catch up to AEK and Antwerp is rarely outfought at home.
Antwerp 1 – 0 AEK Athens
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