Royal Antwerp vs Anderlecht prediction 12.02.2026 | Beker van België

Antwerp enter the second leg in mixed domestic form. Their Jupiler Pro League performances have been uneven, with losses and draws interspersed with high-scoring victories. They suffered back-to-back league defeats to Dender and Charleroi without scoring, but on the final day of January, they recorded an impressive 4-0 win over Cercle Brugge. Still, inconsistency remains evident, as shown by a 2-0 loss to Mechelen over the weekend, making this second-leg cup tie even more unpredictable from Royal Antwerp’s perspective.

Injury news is also notable: defenders Björn Engels and forwards Geoffry Hairemans, Mauricio Benitez, and Rein Van Helden are all unavailable. Such absences could blunt Antwerp’s attacking cohesion and reduce squad depth.

Anderlecht’s league form has been inconsistent, with recent results including several defeats and a solitary cup loss away to Antwerp. Their scoring rate in recent matches is restrained compared with Antwerp’s, often struggling to find the net consistently. Recent fixtures have been particularly challenging: Anderlecht have failed to score in four consecutive matches across all competitions, and the club recently announced that Olivier Renard will no longer serve as manager.

Key injury absentees include Cesar Huerta, Ludwig Augustinsson, and Mario Stroeykens, weakening Anderlecht’s attacking options and wide areas. These setbacks may limit tactical flexibility, although Anderlecht have shown resilience in direct encounters and defensive solidity both home and away in past meetings. More concerningly, Anderlecht will have to reshuffle their defensive line following the two sending-offs in the first leg in Brussels: Killian Sardella and Moussa Diarra are ineligible.