Manager Karel Geraerts believes his Union St Gilloise have shown the standards they need to hit in order to reach the last four of a European competition for the first time since 1960. The Belgian outfit drew 1-1 in Germany in the first leg of UEFA Europa League (UEL) quarter-final against Bayer Leverkusen, with the boss admitting “we will have to display the same mentality” to have any chance of progressing.
It would be a huge upset if Union St Gilloise were to win, but they head into the tie with plenty of confidence after extending an unbeaten run to nine matches by beating Seraing 2-1 at the weekend (W6, D3). They have also proved a formidable opponent at Joseph Marien Stadium, where 12 of their last 13 outings have ended in victory (L1), netting a whopping 30 goals in the process!
That record would strike fear into most teams, but Bayer Leverkusen fans of a certain age may be aware that their side have never previously lost to Belgian opposition in a European competition (W3, D2). On top of that, Bayer Leverkusen make the journey west looking to extend a run of 11 games without defeat (W8, D3), including UEL victories against Monaco and Ferencváros.
The former of those wins bodes well for Xabi Alonso’s side, as it was the first time in their UEL history that they managed to progress to the next round despite failing to win the first leg at home. The manager will be hoping for more of the same from his side, although he is taking nothing for granted, insisting “everything is very open” after a tight opening leg.
Key battle: Union St Gilloise striker Victor Boniface is unbeaten in his six goalscoring appearances in the UEL (W3, D3), with both teams scoring in each of those matches. He may be trying to outshine Bayer Leverkusen Moussa Diaby, who has netted 11 times in just 25 UEL appearances.
Hot streak: None of Union St Gilloise last 20 games in European football have ended 0-0.
