Football in Belgium is weird right now. If you've been looking at the Royal Antwerp F.C. standings lately, you know exactly what I mean. One week they're lookin' like the squad that took the double in 2023, and the next, they're struggling to break down a low block from a team facing relegation. It’s frustrating. It’s exciting. Honestly, it’s just typical Antwerp.
As of mid-January 2026, the "Great Old" finds itself in a dogfight. They aren't sitting at the very top—that honor currently belongs to Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge—but they are right in the thick of the European play-off conversation.
The Current State of the Table
Let's talk numbers. Right now, after 20 matches, Antwerp sits in 7th place in the Jupiler Pro League.
They’ve got 27 points. It’s a bit of a "glass half full, glass half empty" situation. On one hand, they are technically tied with Standard Liège for that final Champions' Play-off spot (the top 6). On the other, they’ve lost as many games as they’ve won. Seven wins, six draws, seven losses. You can't get much more "middle of the road" than that.
The goal difference is +3. They’ve scored 24 and let in 21. It’s solid defensively—only the top three teams have conceded fewer goals—but the clinical edge up front? It's been hit or miss.
Just yesterday, on January 13, 2026, they played a 1-1 draw against RAAL La Louvière in the Belgian Cup quarterfinals. It wasn't the statement win fans wanted at the Bosuilstadion. But that’s been the story of the season: flashes of brilliance followed by "wait, what just happened?" moments.
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Why the Standings Don't Tell the Whole Story
Stats are great, but they’re also kind of liars. If you just glance at the Royal Antwerp F.C. standings, you might think the team is regressing.
You have to look at the context. The club went through a massive managerial shift recently. Joseph Oosting took over the reigns on December 1, 2025, after a bumpy start to the season under Stef Wils. Transitioning from one philosophy to another mid-season is like trying to change a tire while the car is moving at 80 km/h.
Oosting has brought a bit more stability. Since he took over, the form has actually been pretty decent. We’re talking about a run that included a 2-1 win over Zulte Waregem and a massive 3-0 thumping of Genk.
- The Vincent Janssen Factor: Even at 31, the man is the heartbeat of the attack. He’s got 6 league goals so far.
- The New Kids: Keep an eye on Mauricio Benítez (on loan from Boca) and Farouck Adekami. They’ve injected some much-needed energy into a midfield that felt a bit stale back in October.
- Defensive Rock: Zeno Van Den Bosch is playing like a veteran. He’s played nearly every single minute this season.
Comparing the Competition
The Belgian league is a meat grinder. The gap between 5th place (Mechelen with 31 points) and 11th place (Charleroi with 24 points) is basically a couple of bad weekends.
Antwerp is currently chasing Standard Liège and Mechelen. To get back into that elite top 6, they need to turn those draws into wins. They have the second-most draws in the top half of the table.
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Why does this matter? Because of the play-off system. In Belgium, points are halved before the final sprint. If Antwerp enters the Europe Play-offs (7th-12th) instead of the Champions' Play-offs (1st-6th), their path to a European trophy becomes way more complicated. Nobody at the Bosuilstadion wants to be playing for the "consolation prize" in May.
Recent Results That Shifted the Standings
- Jan 13, 2026: 1-1 Draw vs RAAL La Louvière (Cup)
- Dec 27, 2025: 2-1 Win vs Zulte Waregem
- Dec 21, 2025: 2-2 Draw vs Anderlecht
- Dec 14, 2025: 2-0 Win vs KAA Gent
That win against Gent was massive. It proved that on their day, Antwerp can still bully the big boys.
What’s Next for the Great Old?
The schedule isn't doing them any favors. On January 18, they travel to Dender. On paper? Should be a win. In reality? Dender is fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table, and those teams are dangerous.
Then they’ve got Charleroi and Cercle Brugge. If Antwerp can bag 7 to 9 points from these next three matches, they’ll almost certainly jump into the top 6.
The biggest hurdle is consistency. The departure of Toby Alderweireld (who ended his career last summer) left a leadership vacuum that is still being filled. You can see it in the way they sometimes switch off in the final 10 minutes of a match.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
- Watch the "Under": Antwerp is defensively sound but not scoring in bunches. Historically this season, they aren't involved in many 4-goal thrillers.
- Home Field Advantage: The Bosuilstadion remains a fortress. They've earned 18 of their 27 points at home. If they're playing at home, the odds are usually in their favor.
- Transfer Market Moves: With Marc Overmars still pulling the strings as Technical Director, expect a late January move. They need one more creative spark in the final third if they want to leapfrog Mechelen.
The Royal Antwerp F.C. standings might look average right now, but the underlying metrics suggest a team that is finally finding its feet under Oosting. Don't be surprised if they're sitting in 4th or 5th by the time the blossoms hit the trees in April.
If you're following the league, keep a close eye on the goal difference. In a tie-break situation, those narrow 1-0 wins are going to be the difference between a summer in the Europa League or a summer watching from the couch. It’s tight. It’s tense. It’s exactly why we love the Pro League.
Check the live table after the Dender match on Sunday. That result will tell us everything we need to know about whether this "new" Antwerp is for real or just a temporary spark.
Next Steps for the Reader:
- Monitor the injury report for Vincent Janssen before the Dender fixture; his presence dictates the entire offensive structure.
- Compare the "Goals Against" column of the top 8 teams to see how Antwerp's backline holds up against the elite.
- Track the point gap between 6th and 7th place weekly to gauge Antwerp's likelihood of entering the Champions' Play-offs.