Antwerp Secure Victory Despite Penalty Miss

After three matches without a win, Antwerp finally ended their drought with a 2-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise.

However, the storyline of the match revolved around Vincent Janssen’s missed penalty in the first half, and his subsequent redemption with the opening goal. Despite Union’s early resilience, Antwerp were able to clinch all three points, with Tjaronn Chery sealing the result late on.

Antwerp began the match aggressively, with Gyrano Kerk finding the back of the net in the opening minute, only for VAR to intervene, ruling out the goal due to a foul in the build-up. The disallowed goal did little to dampen the home side’s momentum as they continued to press forward. Ondrejka struck the post just 15 minutes into the game, and Antwerp appeared to be the more dangerous side throughout the first half.

The pivotal moment came midway through the first half when Union’s Castro-Montes handled the ball inside the box, gifting Antwerp a penalty. Vincent Janssen stepped up, but to the shock of the home crowd, pushed his shot wide of the post. Union goalkeeper Anthony Moris celebrated the miss emphatically, mocking Janssen with a finger-to-lips gesture, further igniting the tension.

Union threatened towards the end of the half, with Ait El Hajd and Mac Allister both coming close, but Antwerp goalkeeper Lammens kept the score level with two important saves. The teams went into the break with the score still 0-0, despite Antwerp’s dominance.

After halftime, Union appeared more confident and started to gain control of the game. But it was Antwerp who capitalized on a defensive lapse from their opponents. Bataille won back possession in midfield, and Ondrejka’s pass found Chery, who crossed into the box. This time, Janssen made no mistake, smashing the ball past Moris with all his earlier frustration, putting Antwerp 1-0 ahead.

Janssen’s celebration was a pointed one—shouting directly at Moris, who had celebrated his penalty miss earlier. The Dutchman later told Belgian outfit Sporza, “There’s a lot of emotion in football. What I did may not have been good, but those are the emotions that come up at that moment.”

Union’s chances of a comeback were severely dented when Mac Allister received a second yellow card, reducing them to 10 men. Moments later, Chery doubled Antwerp’s lead, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner. VAR took a few minutes to confirm the goal, checking for offside, but eventually, the 2-0 scoreline stood.

With the result all but secured, the remainder of the match saw Union attempting to break down a solid Antwerp defense, but to no avail. Dennis Praet made a late appearance for Antwerp, but the game fizzled out without further incident, as Union failed to score for the third consecutive match.

Site Opinion: Penalty Redemption

This match was a tale of redemption for Vincent Janssen. His penalty miss was a major turning point in the first half, and it could have deflated Antwerp’s morale. However, his reaction to that setback—scoring the opening goal and delivering a passionate celebration—showed his character and determination. While some may question his taunting of Moris, it was a moment of raw emotion that added an extra layer of drama to the contest.

For Union, the defeat and Mac Allister’s red card will be concerning. Failing to score for the third straight game is a sign that something isn’t clicking in their attack, and they’ll need to address that quickly if they want to stay competitive in the league. Despite showing flashes of promise, their inability to take advantage of key moments ultimately cost them.