Mechelen - Antwerp predictions

The visiting team knows the task they face will not be easy. Beating Mechelen on their own turf would be a major accomplishment, and it is always a formidable challenge.

The visitors are well aware of the challenge ahead of them. To defeat Mechelen on their home field would be a significant achievement, and it is never an easy undertaking.

The home team suffered an expected defeat in the last round of the Pro League. With 5.18 betting odds to their name, they were never expected to cause an upset. On the contrary, they were expected to suffer a devastating defeat so the 18 defeat even sounds acceptable.

It’s fair to say Antwerp fans were shocked to see their team lose the previous Pro League game. At 1.92 betting odds to win, they were expected to enjoy a walk in the park against Sporting Charleroi. Instead, Antwerp suffered a devastating 1:3 blow.

The home team’s tendency to see their defence crumble under the pressure of away games is worrying – they conceded more than 5 times over the previous 3 away games. The fact that they’re at AFAS-stadion Achter de Kazerne this Friday makes things easier for them, but not by a lot.

It’s easy to spot a certain trend when looking over Antwerp’s recent history – and not in a good way. Their latest appearances were marked by a high concession rate. For example, their previous 3 matches featured more than 5 conceded goals.

The season’s match history tells us that Antwerp lost their previous game against Mechelen even though they were the hosts. Despite the defeat and the fact that they’re playing as the away team this time, they’re still marked as the favourites.

Though the visitors are favourites here, it’s important to note they’ll be playing without Mahamadou Doumbia, Björn Engels, Christopher Scott due to injury. On the flip side, the hosts will also be several players short – namely, Mory Konate, Daam Foulon, Bill Antonio, Nikola Storm, Jules Van Cleemput, Zinho Vanheusden have also reported injuries.

Over 2.5 Goals is easily the safest bet when it comes to this matchup. The best part is that it also maintains a decent betting value, especially if you use the 1 odds offered at 1xbet.