What do the programs of Anderlecht, Club and Union look like? And what about the European tickets? Everything about the denouement of the play-offs | Jupiler Pro League play-offs

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Anderlecht, Club Brugge or Union. It looks like one of those three teams will be crowned the new national champion in exactly a month – unless Racing Genk pulls off a real miracle. Thanks to strong results in the home games, Anderlecht starts the final sprint as the leader, the swinging Club Brugge follows in the wake of the Purple & White. Union recovered just in time by finally taking its first win of these Champions’ Play-offs on matchday five.

Next weekend, the ‘return round’ of the Champions’ Play-offs kicks off with the return matches of the previous match day. For Anderlecht, a new victory against Cercle seems to be a must to stay in pole position. In the coming weeks, Club will complete the difficult trips to Genk and Antwerp, while in between it will also meet Fiorentina twice in the semi-finals of the Conference League. Union will receive Antwerp next matchday.

Matchdays 7, 8 and 9 promise to be even more exciting, because a mutual duel between two of the title candidates is on the program. On the final day, Anderlecht is the only one playing away (at Antwerp), Union (against Genk) and Club (against Cercle) play the possibly decisive last match at home. Below you will find the full programs of the three title pretenders.

PROGRAM ANDERLECHT

PROGRAM CLUB BRUGES

PROGRAM UNION

The team that will soon become champion is assured of participation in the group stage of the new Champions League. The vice-champion also has a chance to win the prizes of the champions ball, but as a non-seed he must survive two preliminary rounds. And that was never evident in the past. For the second, there is in any case the safety net of the Europa League.

The third starts its European season in the second preliminary round of the Europa League and also has a safety net with the preliminary rounds of the Conference League. The cup winner qualifies for the Europa League play-offs and is therefore assured of a European group stage. Finally, the fourth will play a jump-off match against the winner of the Europe Play-offs (probably AA Gent) for the last European ticket.

Which European tickets does Belgium get?

However, it is not one hundred percent certain that the fourth team will have to play against the winner of the Europe Play-offs. If the cup winner also becomes champion or runner-up – a plausible scenario for Union – then all tickets will move up one spot and it will be the fifth of the Champions’ Play-offs that completes the jump-off match.

If Antwerp wins the cup and Union still falls outside the top three, the third (!) will actually play that jump-off match. More about that here.

AA Gent seems, just like in previous years, to come out on top in the Europe Play-offs. Halfway through, the Buffaloes have a comfortable bonus of six points over first pursuer KV Mechelen. If Malinwa still wants to have a shot at the last European ticket, only a win is an option in the mutual match with AA Gent, next Sunday Achter de Kazerne.

Even in the play-downs, the score seems to be in a decisive fold after half of the matchdays. Charleroi is already certain that it will not be relegated directly to the Challenger Pro League and is also in pole position for retention. RWDM has opened a five-point gap with KV Kortrijk and Eupen and is on its way to the jump-off match against a team from 1B. A miracle is needed for the latter two teams to avert relegation.

This weekend the curtain may even fall on the Relegation Play-offs with RWDM-KV Kortrijk and Eupen-Charleroi.

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