Union Saint-Gilloise vs OH Leuven Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 Belgian Pro League
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THE FACTS
When is Union Saint-Gilloise vs OH Leuven on and what time does it start? Union Saint-Gilloise vs OH Leuven will take place on Saturday 12th August,, 2023 – 17:15 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Union Saint-Gilloise vs OH Leuven? Visit each team’s official website for the latest ticket information
Where can I watch Union Saint-Gilloise vs OH Leuven in the UK? Union Saint-Gilloise vs OH Leuven will not be televised live and cannot be streamed in the UK
THE LOWDOWN
UNION SAINT-GILLOISE
In recent seasons, despite being a club with a storied past and good reputation, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise have been the surprise package in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League with back-to-back seasons in which they have been legitimate title challengers. In the 2021/22 campaign, after finishing at the top of the table in the regular season, they lost several key players, including Kaoru Mitoma and Deniz Undav to their affiliate club Brighton and Hove Albion, as well as their manager Felice Mazzu to Anderlecht. Despite that, they maintained another title challenge last year under Alexander Blessin and will be expected to be up there again.
Union SG have started their season with back-to-back to nil victories against their Brussels rivals Anderlecht on the opening day of the season and then away to Carl Hoefkens’ Standard Liege last weekend. That means they have begun with to clean sheet victories against two members of the so-called Belgian ‘big three’ with new summer signing Kevin Mac Allister, brother of Alexis, quickly gaining an impressive reputation in their back three.
OH LEUVEN
Still owned by Leicester City’s ownership group King Power, Oud-Heverlee Leuven have also had to deal with the financial issues that The Foxes have struggled to cope with since the COVID-19 pandemic massively impacted upon King Power’s duty-free business. They remain a steady and stable club, though, in Belgium’s top-flight with Marc Brys still in charge in the dugout, as has been the case since 2020. They finished firmly in the middle-of-the-table last season and will expect a similar finish this time around.
Their key striker from last season, Mario Gonzalez, who was their top league scorer with 13 and top scorer in all competitions with 15, has departed from the club. He was only on loan from Braga and Leuven failed to lure him back and he has now joined LAFC. Given that a quarter of last season’s goal tally has now left the door, Brys’ side may well struggle this season. They have started with a disappointing 1-1 draw at a depleted Charleroi team that were down to ten men for much of the match and then a 2-1 defeat at home to newly-promoted RWD Molenbeek, who had begun the season with a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Genk.
THE PREDICTED LINE-UPS
UNION SAINT-GILLOISE
Under the management of Alexander Blessin, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League playing a back three and that is how they have started again this season.
Union SG don’t have to play any European tie until the back end of the month when they face Lugano so there is no need to rest and rotate and, with no injuries and suspensions, they are therefore expected to name an unchanged side.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Moris; Mac Allister, Burgess, Machida; Nieuwkoop, Vanhoutte, Lynen, Lapoussin; Rasmussen, Puertas; Eckert
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
OH LEUVEN
As already mentioned, Marc Brys may have a headache in terms of goal scoring this season due to the loss of Mario Gonzalez but they will insist on playing on-loan Nathan Opoku, who did score a penalty on the opening day.
Aside from the headaches at the top end of the pitch, Brys is blessed with a fully fit and available squad with no injuries or suspensions so they should remain unchanged.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Cojocaru; Sagrado, Pletinckx, Ricca, Mendyl; Banzuzi, Keita, Schrijvers; Maertens, Opoku, Porsteinsson
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
THE PREDICTION
It is very early on in the season to predict anything too great or bad for either of these two sides but based purely on their performances and results so far it wouldn’t be an outrageous claim to suggest this match has already moved into potential champions-elect versus wooden spoon territory. Union SG look very impressive, particularly defensively, but they will be hoping to open up their attacking threat this weekend against an OH Leuven side lacking cutting edge and seemingly going backwards after a mid-table finish last year. A comfortable home win is the expected outcome for this one.
TIP: UNION SG TO WIN
