BRUSSELS, March 22 (Reuters) - Defending league champions Union Saint-Gilloise finished the regular season in Belgium on top of the standings, but Anderlecht had a battle to finish in the top six and advance to the playoffs to decide the title.
Union, who won their first league crown in 90 years last May, ended their 30-match regular season programme with 66 points, winning 3-1 away at third-placed St Truiden on Sunday.
Club Brugge were second on 63 as they had an even more dominant 4-1 home triumph over KV Mechelen, who were fifth.
KAA Gent jumped from sixth to fourth as they beat last-placed Dender 3-1 away but Anderlecht, whose 34 league titles are a Belgian record, looked to be in peril as they lost 3-2 at home to second-from-bottom Cercle Brugge.
Anderlecht slipped from fifth place ahead of Sunday’s final round of regular season matches in a surprise setback but held onto a berth in the top six ahead of Racing Genk, whose chances slipped away when they conceded two stoppage-time goals in a dramatic 5-5 draw at La Louviere.
The top six clubs will now have their regular-season points halved as they proceed to the playoffs, where they play each other in a mini-league to decide the title and places in next season’s Champions League.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis)
