Royal Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years after Toby Alderweireld's stoppage-time equaliser - BBC Sport
Belgian Pro League
KRC GenkKRC Genk2Royal AntwerpRoyal Antwerp2

Royal Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years after Toby Alderweireld's stoppage-time equaliser

By Ben CollinsBBC Sport
Royal Antwerp coach Mark van Bommel celebrates with his players after Toby Alderweireld scores in stoppage time to win the Belgian league title
Royal Antwerp coach Mark van Bommel celebrates with his players after Toby Alderweireld's equaliser

Ex-Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld scored a stoppage-time equaliser to hand Royal Antwerp the Belgian title in a dramatic end to the season on Sunday.

In the dying minutes of a three-way race for the title, Racing Genk and then Union Saint-Gilloise were set to become league champions.

But Antwerp's Alderweireld struck in the 94th minute to make it 2-2 at Genk.

And that sparked wild celebrations as it was enough to hand his hometown club their first title in 66 years.

"I have no words for this," said Alderweireld, 34, who joined Antwerp from Qatari side Al-Duhail last summer.

"Everyone wrote us off, we fought so hard for this. Everyone was against us, but we did it today."

Antwerp finished the season one point ahead of Genk and Union, who were set to become Belgian champions for the first time in 88 years having only ended a 48-year absence from the top flight in 2021.

In the 89th minute of the last championship play-off matches, Antwerp looked out of the race as they trailed 2-1 while Union were 1-0 up at home over Club Brugge.

But Japanese striker Shion Homma equalised for an under-strength Brugge to thrust Genk, who only had an outside chance before kick-off, into pole position.

At Genk, six minutes of added time were indicated and in the fourth, Alderweireld fired into the top corner from 20 yards to stun the home crowd, with coach Mark van Bommel and some of his staff charging on to the field to celebrate as the former Belgium defender ran the length of the field in front of the Antwerp fans.

Meanwhile, Union, owned by Brighton owner Tony Bloom, ultimately lost 3-1 as Brugge struck twice more in stoppage time.

Line-ups

KRC Genk

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 26Vandevoordt
  • 23Muñoz
  • 46CuestaSubstituted forOuattaraat 71'minutes
  • 2McKenzie
  • 5Arteaga
  • 8Heynen
  • 17Hrosovsky
  • 28PaintsilBooked at 69mins
  • 34El KhannoussSubstituted forSorat 86'minutes
  • 11Trésor
  • 99ArokodareSubstituted forSamattaat 78'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Ouattara
  • 7Samatta
  • 14Sor
  • 19Ait El Hadj
  • 24Oyen
  • 40Leysen
  • 77Preciado

Royal Antwerp

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Butez
  • 34Bataille
  • 23Alderweireld
  • 51Pacho
  • 22Ávila
  • 27KeitaSubstituted forYusufat 78'minutes
  • 48Vermeeren
  • 24EkkelenkampSubstituted forMujaat 71'minutes
  • 7KerkBooked at 47minsSubstituted forScottat 90'minutes
  • 18Janssen
  • 10BalikwishaBooked at 90mins

Substitutes

  • 8Yusuf
  • 11Muja
  • 26De Wolf
  • 32Scott
  • 33Van Den Bosch
  • 38Haroun
  • 50Krasniqi
Referee:
Nathan Verboomen
Attendance:
22,196

Match Stats

Home TeamKRC GenkAway TeamRoyal Antwerp
Possession
Home53%
Away47%
Shots
Home7
Away14
Shots on Target
Home3
Away4
Corners
Home1
Away3
Fouls
Home12
Away15

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Scores, Results & Fixtures

Sunday 4th June 2023

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Royal Antwerp40258769343547
2KRC Genk40258788474146
3Union Saint-Gilloise40258778492946
4Club Bruges4018111171482336

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1KAA Gent402191081443744
2Cercle Bruges401613116355836
3Standard Liege40169156259330
4KVC Westerlo401510157168330

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Sporting de Charleroi34146144552-748
2Oud-Heverlee Leuven34139125648848
3Anderlecht34137144946346
4Sint-Truidense VV34119143740-342
5Mechelen34117164963-1440
6KV Kortrijk3487193761-2431
7KAS Eupen3477204075-3528
8KV Oostende3476213776-3927
9SV Zulte Waregem3469195078-2827
10RFC Seraing3455242868-4020
View full Belgian Pro League tables

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