Antwerp suffered another defeat in the Jupiler Pro League on Sunday. Union St. Gilloise won 2-0 at the Bosuilstadion with goals from Mateo Biondic and Denzel De Roeve, while Bahmed Deuff was sent off.
Marvin Compper's side failed to score and were dealt a decisive blow in the second half. Mateo Biondic opened the scoring in the 51st minute following an assist from Relebohile Mofokeng. Union controlled the game better and created more chances, evidenced by 21 shots to Antwerp's seven. The second goal came in the 78th minute when substitute Kevin Rodriguez set up Denzel De Roeve for a finish.
The match turned definitively when Bahmed Deuff received a second yellow card in the 69th minute, forcing Antwerp to play the final twenty minutes with ten men. Michael Frey and Arthur Vermeeren were also booked earlier. Antwerp struggled to create danger and managed only one shot on target from top scorer Michael Frey, who has four goals in six appearances this season.
Antwerp started in a 4-4-2 formation but could not withstand Union's pressure. Possession stats were nearly even, but the visitors were far more clinical. Goalkeeper Taishi Brandon Nozawa made eight saves, while his counterpart Hervé Koffi was only called into action once. Compper introduced Ibrahim Salah, Snayder Porozo, Carlos Mejia, Luis Narh and Mauricio Benítez in the second half, but it failed to spark a comeback.
This loss means Antwerp remain in 12th place with seven points after six matches. The team has now lost four in a row and sits twelve points behind leaders Gent. The next assignment is an away trip to KVC Westerlo on October 10th, a clash between two sides in the lower half of the table. The full standings and fixtures schedule are available to chart the path forward.
