Dender vs Royale Union SG

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise’s bid to better last season’s runner-up finish in the Belgian Pro League starts against newly-promoted Dender at the Dender Football Complex.

Last season’s runner-up finish in the Challenger Pro League saw Dender return to the Belgian top flight for the first time since their fateful 2008/09 campaign. Earning two promotions in three seasons testifies to Dender’s return to prominence, yet their underwhelming form toward the end of their off-season preparations (D3, L1) can’t inspire much confidence. Vincent Euvrard’s men have drawn a blank in back-to-back matches ahead of this curtain-raising league fixture (D1, L1), casting doubt on their hopes of defying the odds against a more heavily fancied Royale Union. They’ve lost the last two H2H meetings between the two teams, but it’s worth noting their most recent showdown dates back to 2013 when they were both in the third tier.

Meanwhile, Royale Union SG missed out on their first First Division title since 1934/35 last season by an inch, finishing second to Club Brugge by only one point. Sebastien Pocognoli’s side claimed their vengeance in this season’s Super Cup, beating Brugge 2-1 to add to their trophy cabinet and set themselves up nicely for this trip. Bringing the tail-end of last season and pre-season friendlies into the equation, the visitors are unbeaten in 14 consecutive games in the build-up to this clash (W10, D4), suggesting they’re in pole position to get the new Pro League campaign off to a flying start. Adding to Royale Union’s confidence, they rounded off last season on a three-game unbeaten run on the road (W2, D1), netting 2+ goals on each occasion.