Reigning Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise will make their Champions League debut tonight at 18:45 in an away match against Dutch neighbours PSV Eindhoven.
Union secured direct qualification for the group stage as Belgian champions and enter the competition in strong form.
Domestically, they have been dominant, leading the Belgian Pro League with 17 points out of a possible 21 and remaining the only unbeaten team in the league.
Key departures, such as Charles Vanhoutte (OGC Nice), Franjo Ivanovic (Benfica), and Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), appear to have been seamlessly compensated for.
Their only loss of the season came in the Belgian Super Cup against Club Brugge. Currently, Union holds a three-point lead over STVV at the top of the table, with Club Brugge and Anderlecht seven points adrift, albeit with a game in hand.
Celebrations of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, in Brussels, after winning the 2024-2025 'Jupiler Pro League' first division of the Belgian championship. Credit: Belga
Union now faces the challenge of stepping up to Champions League level. While they have gained continental experience in recent seasons through runs in the Europa League and Conference League, the Champions League poses a different challenge.
Their opponents, PSV Eindhoven, are seasoned competitors with 26 Dutch league titles to their name. PSV have made a solid start to the Eredivisie season, collecting 12 points from their first five matches while scoring 17 goals and conceding 8. Last weekend, they beat NEC 5-3 in a high-scoring encounter.
Union will have to contend with the absence of striker Raul Florucz, who is suspended for tonight’s game. Captain and defender Christian Burgess remains doubtful due to a foot injury that kept him out of their 1-0 victory over Dender last weekend.
Belgium’s other representative in the Champions League, Club Brugge, will begin their campaign on Thursday with a home fixture against Monaco.
