Antwerp is well on its way to playing a European campaign for the second year in a row until the group stage. After the Kosovar Drita, the Norwegian Lillestrom now went for the axe.
Antwerp could welcome Lillestrom with confidence in the Bosuil stadium. With the 1-3 win in Norway under his belt, miracles would almost have to happen for Lillestrom to qualify.
Nevertheless, the Norwegians started the game with the first danger. After playing badly, Alderweireld has to react attentively with a sliding tackle to prevent Lillestrom from taking a shot. Then the signal was given for Antwerp to take control of the game.
At first Gerkens missed on a pass from a dribbling Toby Alderweireld but moments later it was hit. Anthony Valencia thanked for his first base place by scoring the 1-0 in goal from an oblique angle on a pass from Nainggolan.
If Lillestrom had still harbored hope, it had now literally and figuratively vanished like snow in the sun. Antwerp took total control of the game but forgot to finish the game before half time. De Laet, Valencia and Gerkens all had a good chance to double the lead but missed the box.
The tension was clear in the second half. Lillestrom couldn’t have done better and Antwerp seemed to have had enough with the heat and succession of matches. On the hour, Van Bommel brought in three fresh forces to give the match a new impetus.
Janssen did that by quickly taking a yellow card, but also by being at the base for the second goal. His shot hit another Norwegian leg, but Birger Verstraete was able to head the deflected shot into goal from close range.
As if it wasn’t warm enough already, the supporters added a few more degrees in the Bosuil stadium by celebrating the qualification at the end of the match
Antwerp is only one round away from the group stage in the Conference League. In Istanbul Basaksehir they will meet a Turkish opponent that should not be underestimated.
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