Union Saint-Gilloise (USG) and Antwerp will go head-to-head in the 69th Belgian Cup final at the King Baudouin Stadium on Thursday.
Antwerp is striving to defend its 2023 cup triumph against Mechelen (0-2), whilst USG are seeking to lift their first cup since 1914.
This season, both sides have been competing in the league, the Belgian Cup, and European competitions. Reigning champions Antwerp, have fallen out of the title race after a disappointing season. In the Champions League, they finished last in their group behind Barcelona, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.
In the Cup, the team managed by Mark van Bommel eliminated Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the quarter-finals (2-3), before overpowering Ostend (1-1, 3-0) to reach the final.
On USG's side, the 2023-2024 season has been more successful. After finishing in third place in Europa League’s Group E behind Liverpool and Toulouse, USG moved down to the Conference League, prevailing over Eintracht Frankfurt in the play-off round (2-2, 2-1), before bowing out in the last 16 against Fenerbahçe (0-3, 1-0).
During the regular season, Alexander Blessin’s charges led the league for the majority of the campaign. Since the play-off’s start, they have contended with Anderlecht and Club Brugge, but have since lost their lead at the top of the table after a succession of defeats in the play-offs.
USG secured their spot in the Cup final by winning the Brussels derby against RSCA in the quarter-finals before eliminating Club Brugge in the semi-finals (2-1, 2-0).
Beating Antwerp in the final could see Union Saint-Gilloise lift the Belgian Cup for the third time in their history and the first time since the 1913-1914 season, where they beat FC Brugeois (predecessors to today's Club Brugge) 4-1. For Antwerp, victory would mean a fifth title and the potential to salvage a disappointing season with a second successive Cup success.
