Two Belgian sides dust off the cobwebs in early July—preseason vibes, unpredictable moments, and plenty of rustiness expected. 🔧

Westerlo's been leaky on tour (three losses in their last five), while Beerschot showed some spark with a 4-1 romp over Wilrijk but also got humbled twice by Lommel SK. Both teams are still shaking off the offseason, so expect scrappy, chaotic football.

Key storylines:

• Westerlo's leaky defense gave up four to PAOK and two to Antwerp—Beerschot's attack could punish that if they click early
• Beerschot's inconsistency (four goals one day, three conceded the next) makes them hard to pin down in a friendly
• Preseason fitness and cohesion will be the real tale—neither side looks fully dialed in yet

Expected lineups:

• KVC Westerlo: A. Jungdal, D. Ourega, S. Kimura, A. Lapage, L. Mbamba, D. Haspolat, T. V. d. Keybus, N. Bohamdi-Kamoni, I. Sakamoto, S. Saito, A. Patrão
• K. Beerschot V.A.: N. Shinton, N. Varela, B. V. d. Eynden, B. Plat, C. Dagba, G. Haraguchi, L. V. Eenoo, D. Wright-Phillips, G. Claes, E. Brahić, A. Vula

Prediction:

2-2 — Coin flip in a sloppy preseason draw. Both sides will create chances, both will leak goals, and it'll feel more like a training exercise than a proper contest. 🤷