Standard Liege vs KV Mechelen

Stade Maurice Dufrasne is the venue as Standard Liege and KV Mechelen lock horns in an exciting Belgian Pro League showdown.

Seeking their first Belgian Pro League title since 2008/09 following an abysmal 12th-place finish in 2023/24, Standard Liege have got the new league campaign off to a promising start. After a scoreless draw at Genk on the opening weekend, Ivan Leko’s side squeezed past reigning champions Club Brugge 1-0 last weekend. Mechelen’s upcoming visit to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne could complicate Standard’s bid to haul back a two-point deficit on table-topping Westerlo, considering they’ve only won once in their last seven league H2Hs on home turf (D3, L3). With the three most recent duels between the two teams at this venue featuring under 2.5 goals, another low-scoring affair at the beginning of Standard’s new top-flight campaign could be on the cards.

Meanwhile, visiting Mechelen weathered the storm at Club Brugge on the opening weekend, holding the champs to a 1-1 draw despite facing 28 shots, including seven on target. However, they were not as lucky against Westerlo last weekend, suffering a dismal 4-2 defeat on their home ground after conceding precisely two goals on either side of halftime. While they’ve been traditionally comfortable at Standard’s home venue, Besnik Hasi’s side can’t afford to take this fixture lightly after managing just one win across their last five Belgian Pro League road trips (D2, L2). Worryingly for the visiting fans, four of those five games saw Mechelen score under 1.5 goals.