Matchday 3 of the 2025/26 Jupiler Pro League kicks off with the Friday night clash between St. Truiden and Dender, two teams that have had a solid start to the new season. The hosts, who narrowly avoided relegation last season by winning the relegation group, have started well this year, collecting four points from the first two rounds. Wouter Vrancken’s men, after defeating Gent and drawing against Charleroi, are aiming to maintain their momentum to consolidate their current third place and perhaps even climb to the top of the table ahead of Anderlecht. While it’s only the third game of the season, St. Truiden’s goal is to keep performing at this level to secure a comfortable survival—possibly matching the 9th place they achieved in the 2023/24 season. Offensively, the departure of star striker Adriano Bertaccini to Anderlecht could be significant, but the team has strengthened with key additions up front: striker Andres Ferrari from Villarreal and left winger Ilias Sebaoui from Feyenoord. Fans hope the new arrivals will integrate quickly with the squad. Dender, on the other hand, narrowly avoided the relegation group last season by just one point. Their start under coach Vincent Euvrard has been steady but not spectacular, with two draws against Cercle Brugge and Standard Liège. Although it’s still early in the season, securing a win soon is crucial to avoid slipping down the table and to build confidence moving forward. Dender’s main investment this summer also focused on the attack: after scoring nine goals last season, the club has permanently signed Aurélien Scheidler from Bari following a one-year loan.

St. Truiden's Recent Form and Key Stats

St. Truiden are in good form, having remained unbeaten in their first two games of the 2025/26 Jupiler Pro League season.

They opened their campaign with a convincing 3-1 home win against Gent, followed by a 1-1 draw away at Charleroi. One of the standout performers so far has been Japanese midfielder Ryotaro Ito, who has scored in both matches.

Under the leadership of Wouter Vrancken, who took over in April 2025, the team is gaining praise for its attacking style of play: they’ve scored an average of 2 goals per match and are averaging 4.5 shots on target per game.

However, their defensive record needs improvement—they've conceded in both matches so far, with an average of one goal allowed per game. The Belgian coach will need to work on shoring up the defense without sacrificing attacking output.

Dender's Recent Form and Key Stats

Dender have started their campaign with two draws: a 0-0 home stalemate against Cercle Brugge and a 1-1 draw away at Standard Liège. At the Maurice Dufrasne Stadium, they showed resilience by bouncing back after conceding a 65th-minute goal from Eckert Ayensa, equalizing through Roman Kvet in the 85th minute.

Vincent Euvrard’s side has been struggling in attack, failing to convert the chances they create. Despite averaging only 0.5 goals per game, they’ve managed 2.5 shots on target per match.

On the positive side, the defense—which was a major weakness last season—has already shown improvement, keeping a clean sheet in one of their two matches. A key figure has been goalkeeper Michael Verrips, averaging 3.5 saves per game so far.

St. Truiden vs Dender Prediction and Tactical Overview

St. Truiden and Dender head into this match with contrasting moods: the hosts aim to bounce back to winning ways after a draw with Charleroi, while the visitors are still chasing their first win of the season.

According to BetMines' algorithm, St. Truiden are strong favorites to claim all three points (prediction: home win), thanks to home advantage and better recent form compared to Dender.

St. Truiden have an excellent home record—unbeaten in seven of their last eight Jupiler Pro League matches at home, with five wins in their last six. Dender, on the contrary, haven’t won away in their last eleven matches, collecting just three draws and suffering eight defeats.

The hosts have shown defensive vulnerabilities and consistent attacking output in their opening games—nothing new, as they’ve scored and conceded in five of their last seven matches.

For this reason, the St. Truiden vs Dender prediction by BetMines suggests the home side could concede at least once but still secure the victory.

• St. Truiden vs Dender Prediction by BetMines: St. Truiden to win (Home Win) – 49% probability
  
  
• St. Truiden vs Dender Prediction by BetMines: Both Teams to Score – 56% probability

St. Truiden vs Dender Probable Lineups

ST. TRUIDEN (4-3-3): Kokubo; Helden, Hata, Musliu, L. Patris; Sissako, Yamamoto, Ito; Vanwesemael, Ferrari, Sebaoui. Manager: Wouter Vrancken

DENDER (3-4-3): Verrips; Marijnissen, De Fougerolles; B. Fredrick, Viltard, Mbamba, B. Ferraro; Rodes, Scheidler, Kvet. Manager: Vincent Euvrard