Antwerp were crushed 4-1 at home by Sint-Truiden in the Jupiler Pro League. The defeat marks the first league loss of the 2026/27 season for Mark van Bommel's side.
The visitors took an early lead. Ryotaro Araki put STVV ahead after just nine minutes. Antwerp failed to respond and saw the scoreline worsen in the second half. Snayder Porozo doubled the advantage in the 57th minute, before Samed Bazdar scored twice (73' and 76'). The final goal came from Matsuzwa, who netted the 1-4.
Antwerp started uncertainly and were dealt an early blow. Goalkeeper Taishi Nozawa could not keep out Araki's shot. The home team tried to apply pressure afterwards, but creativity and sharpness were lacking. STVV defended compactly and were dangerous on the counter. Porozo's goal came from a quick transition, while Bazdar exploited space in the Antwerp defence. Bazdar's two goals in three minutes completely sealed the result.
The defeat costs Antwerp valuable points in the standings. The club now sits in eighth place with seven points from four matches. Sint-Truiden climbed to ninth with five points. Antwerp's gap to leaders Charleroi has widened to five points. The team has scored ten goals and conceded nine this season, for a +1 goal difference.
Antwerp must quickly get back on track. Their next match is an away fixture against Standard Liege, who are fifth, on September 5th. That will be an important test. Antwerp's recent form has been mixed, with a sequence of draw, loss, win, and win (LDWW) in their last four league games. The squad needs to regroup, especially with a busy September schedule visible on our fixtures page.
For Sint-Truiden, confidence is high after this victory. They play Union on Wednesday and La Louvière on Saturday. Antwerp must now focus entirely on preparing for Standard. The defensive frailty exposed against STVV needs urgent addressing. The coming training sessions are vital for restoring confidence within the group. More details on the players who need to step up can be found in our squad overview.
