Mechelen will take on Antwerp in their opening encounter of the new season of the Belgian Jupiler League.Mechelen finished 13th last season in the top flight and will be looking to improve their position this season.The visitors barely survived relegation last term and will no doubt be aiming for a quick turnaround. They have played a couple of pre-season friendlies and will be looking to start on a positive note in the Belgian league as they take on Mechelen.Pro League ⚽️🇧🇪@ProLeagueBENew season. New beginnings. Player values are known, so create your #FantasyPL team now! fantasy.proleague.be/new3New season. New beginnings. ⚽Player values are known, so create your #FantasyPL team now! ⬇️fantasy.proleague.be/new https://t.co/tP0kg9QzoOMechelen vs Antwerp Head-To-HeadThis will be the sixth meeting between the two sides. Mechelen have been utterly dominant in their previous four encounters, claiming three wins and one draw in that time. Antwerp are yet to taste victory against the hosts. Their best result was a 2-2 draw at home in the 2019 season.The last time they played each other was in last season's away leg in Antwerp, where Mechelen thrashed them 4-1.Mechelen Form Guide: W-D-DAntwerp Form Guide: L-D-WPro League ⚽️🇧🇪@ProLeagueBEWhen you realise the new #jupilerproleague season starts in 4 days 101When you realise the new #jupilerproleague season starts in 4 days 😅 https://t.co/SWcXmcw2LVMechelen vs Antwerp Team NewsMechelenMechelen will take on Antwerp without Malede, Lucas Bijker (ligament), Dylan Dassy (meniscal) and Sandy Walsh (collarbone).Injured: Malede, Lucas Bijker, Dylan Dassy, Sandy Walsh, Kerim Mrebti.Suspended: None.Unavailable: Jorge Hernandez.AntwerpAntwerp will have to play without the services of Matt Hundenburg and veteran Nicolas Lombaerts, who have been ruled out due to injuries.Injured: Matt Hundenburg, Nicolas LombaertsSuspended: NoneMechelen vs Antwerp Predicted XIMechelen Predicted XI (4-4-2): Greg Couke (GK), Tino Peyre, Réda Halaimia, Stipe Radic, Thibault De Smet, Pierre Bourdin; Robert Koofman, Tom Pietermaat, Ryan Sanusi, Dante Rigo, Geoffrey HayerssmanAntwerp Predicted XI (3-5-2): Anthony Moriss (GK), BazVanlegberg, Christian Burgess, Koki Machida; Bart Nieuwkoop, Jean Thierry Lazare, Casper Nielsen, Kacper Kozłowski, Guillaume François; Kaoru Mitoma, Tarik Tisodali$1,000 Risk-Free Bet at FanDuel SBMechelen vs Antwerp PredictionMechelen severely underperformed in the Belgian Jupiler Pro league last campaign and will look to get off to a winning start this time around. Apart from Rits, they will have a full-strength squad to choose from for the season opener.They are fortunate to open their schedule in a fixture that they have enjoyed historically.The visitors also stand a chance to improve their record in direct clashes against Mechelen. However, they will have to stand up to Mechelen's offensive threats to have any chance of salvaging a point.A victory for Mechelen is on the cards on Saturday.Prediction: Mechelen 3-1 Antwerp