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.