Antwerp – Westerlo

Royal Antwerp rounded off a turbulent week with a polished home performance, beating Westerlo 2-0 at the Bosuilstadion on Saturday evening in the Conference League playoffs. The result was built on a moment of real quality right on the stroke of half-time. Rein Van Helden struck two minutes into first-half stoppage time to break the deadlock and give the hosts the foothold they needed. Modibo Fofana then made the game safe on 69 minutes, finishing off a sharp assist from the excellent Daam Foulon. The match saw five yellow cards shared across both sides, but no red cards, a feisty affair that never quite boiled over. Despite Westerlo edging possession, Antwerp dominated with 17 shots to eight and an xG of 1.55 against just 0.44. For Antwerp, the three points provide a welcome lift as they push higher in the playoff standings. Westerlo, who came in sitting third in the group, will need to regroup quickly if they want to protect their European ambitions.