The final matchday in the Jupiler Pro League is almost here, and we will finally know who will take home the title this year. It certainly won’t be Antwerp, as the defending champion remains at the bottom of the table. The three teams still in contention for the title are Club Brugge, Union, and Anderlecht. The club that becomes champion will be guaranteed a spot in the group stage of the Champions League. Read here about the possible scenarios.
Club Brugge becomes champion
Club Brugge is currently at the top, with a 3-point lead over Union and Anderlecht. They only need one point to secure the 19th title for the blue and black. Brugge finished in a solid 4th place in the regular season and almost won all their playoff matches under Nicky Hayen. Hayen became the interim coach after Ronny Deila was dismissed and managed to strengthen Club’s football again. It’s not certain if he will remain coach, but given his strong performance, it might be the case. He will not be present for the last match, as he received a red card in the game against Anderlecht.
On Sunday, May 26, Club Brugge will play at home against city rival Cercle Brugge. Club could therefore win the championship on their own turf, but the home advantage could equally work in Cercle’s favor. In theory, a draw would suffice for both teams, but then Genk could still surpass Cercle. The Association is unlikely to let that happen.
Club Brugge will be winner of the Jupiler Pro League if:
- They win or draw against Cercle
- They lose to Cercle and Union and Anderlecht do not win against Genk and Antwerp
Union becomes champion
This Brussels club is in second place but still needs more than 3 points to win. Union must hope that Club Brugge doesn’t secure any points against their city rival in their own stadium and win against Genk themselves. It’s a tough task and one that requires a lot of luck, but Union has already shown more unlikely feats this season. The club led the regular season with a 7-point advantage over Anderlecht and thus started the playoffs in a favorable position. But it took a long time for Union to gather points again, and as a result, Club Brugge and Anderlecht came dangerously close. Union is now in second place.
The Brussels team does have the home advantage when they face Genk on Sunday at the Joseph Marien Stadium. Genk would also like to win the three points, as that would give them the best position for a European ticket.
Union will be winner of the Jupiler Pro League if:
- They win against Genk and Club Brugge loses to Cercle
Anderlecht becomes champion
Anderlecht must also hope that Brugge doesn’t get any more points and that Union doesn’t win against Genk. The Brussels team needs a small miracle, but they still have a chance. Anderlecht finished in second place in the regular season, 7 points behind Union. With some wins and a few losses, Anderlecht hovered around that position, and now they are in 3rd place. They hoped to beat Club Brugge on Monday, May 20, as that would give them the best chance. In Lotto Park, it ended up 0-1 for Club with a goal from Denis Odoi.
Anderlecht is the only team that cannot become champions at home. The Mauves have to travel to Deurne to play against Antwerp at the Bosuil. Antwerp has no advantage in winning the three points, but you can assume they won’t let Anderlecht win easily.
Anderlecht will be winner of the Jupiler Pro League if:
- They win against Antwerp, Club loses to Cercle, and Union does not win against Genk.
What about the other teams?
Genk, Cercle Brugge, and Antwerp have no chance at the title. Defending champion Antwerp had the most chances, as with 52 points in the regular season, they were just ahead of Club Brugge, but the Sinjoren played the playoffs poorly and did not win a single match. Genk and Cercle managed to score some points during the playoffs but had to concede to the three teams still in the running.
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