Antwerp Dominates Hasselt in Pre-Season Friendly

Koninklijke Sporting Hasselt welcomed Royal Antwerp FC to their stadium in what promised to be a useful summer outing for both sides. The hosts were looking to build momentum ahead of the new season, but they would find themselves up against a visiting team in confident form. The atmosphere was typical of a July friendly, with both sets of supporters enjoying a relaxed afternoon despite the competitive edge on the pitch.

Antwerp made the breakthrough in the 29th minute when T. Somers fired past the Hasselt goalkeeper to open the scoring. The goal proved to be decisive, giving the visitors an early foothold in the match. Hasselt pressed for an equaliser in response but struggled to find the cutting edge required to trouble Antwerp's defence consistently.

The second half saw Royal Antwerp extend their advantage, adding a second goal to seal victory. Hasselt had their moments and threatened to get back into the contest, but they lacked the precision in the final third needed to mount a serious comeback. Antwerp controlled the tempo effectively and managed the game well to see out the victory without alarm.

The 0-2 scoreline represented a solid pre-season win for Royal Antwerp, who demonstrated enough quality and organisation to suggest they are building nicely towards their opening league fixtures. For Hasselt, there is work to be done ahead of their competitive campaign, though a friendly defeat offers a useful reminder of the standards required at this level. Both teams will take plenty from the encounter as their preparation continues.