Two days later, Antwerp qualified as well, making this their fifth appearance in the final, having already won the cup three times, most notably in 1992 when they also met KV Mechelen and a penalty shoot-out ended in their favor.
Especially from the moment the team qualified for the final, their league performance dropped with many players seemingly not willing to risk long-term injuries.
On the final matchday of the regular season, Mechelen did beat Anderlecht away from home, their first win since early March.
For the first half hour the Antwerp Province derby was a dull match to watch, with a lot of atmosphere in the stands and at the sidelines, but no entertainment on the pitch.
After the break, the level went up strongly for a short period of time as Antwerp received multiple chances to double its lead.