Yusuf Alhassan and Chidera Ejuke were left on the bench as the reigning Jupiler champions, Royal Antwerp, secured a 1-0 victory over AEK Athens in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff on Tuesday.

The absence of Alhassan, a key player for Mark Van Bommel’s team, came as a surprise to many.

Alhassan, who is a regular player under Mark Van Bommel, is one of the fan favorites and he was spotted supporting from bench.

Meaning Vincent Janssen’s goal in the 16th minute proved to be decisive, giving Royal Antwerp the advantage going into the second leg.

However, things became more challenging for the team as Jelle Bataille was shown a straight red card in the 51st minute, leading to his dismissal from the game.

Royale Antwerp must avoid defeat in the second Ieg to make it to Champions League Group phase.