Oostende vs Antwerp Prediction & Betting Tips (8 February)

Relegated to the second division last season, Ostend only lives through this Belgian Cup this season because the record in the championship is a real purge being first-relegation with a small additional point on relegation but one day less. Capable of showing a pretty face in the Cup, KV still took out RWDM in the quarter-finals 2-0 and the serious Genk team in the 1/8th finals 3-1 after extra time. Last weekend in the championship, the locals recorded a second victory in three days on the Lierse pitch 1-2. On the other side of the median, we find the reigning Belgian champion, Royal Antwerp.

A champion who should without much doubt give up his crown at the end of the season as the gap is monumental with Union Saint-Gilloise 17 points and this despite the two recent victories in the elite on the lawn of Standard de Liège 0 -1 and last weekend for the reception of Club Bruges 2-1. Let's also remember that this season, The Great Old did well in the Champions League and even got the better of FC Barcelona on the very last day of the group stage 3-2. In the previous round, the visitors defeated the valiant team of Louvain 2-3 with difficulty.

For this meeting, the young Scottish, Henderson (4 goals in the league) and the young Belgian, Mohamed Berte (3 goals, 3 assists in the elite) will probably be there, like the Venezuelan, Daniel Perez (2 goals in 15 appearances). Passed by Nantes, Basila (Nancy, ready for the season) will also be on the scoresheet barring a last minute injury while another Frenchman, Vincent Koziello (ex-Nice) has been injured for a few weeks and probably OUT for this first round. It's anarchy in the injury department at Royal Antwerp since no less than five players were missing in the league last weekend for the visit of Club Bruges. In this case, Anthony Valencia (7 appearances), the crucial Michel-Ange Balikwisha (5 goals, 5 assists), the French holder, Coulibaly (on loan for the season from BVB), the long-term absentee, Engels and Matazo.

The former Dutch player, van Bommel (coach) will also have to cope without the Nigerian international, Yusuf (2 cakes in 15 caps in the championship) still in the running with the Super Eagles at the CAN. To evoke the forces present, the scorer Janssen (9 goals, 3 assists) will probably be traveling alongside the young Frenchman, Ilenikhena (6 pawns in the Jupiler League), Muja (5 goals, 3 assists) or even Jurgen Ekkelenkamp (5 goals in the elite).