Royale Union SG take on the visitors Lugano in the first leg of UEFA Europa League qualification finals. The match will be played on Thursday, August 24th at Lotto Park (Anderlecht).
Royale Union are not a new, but a newly rediscovered name in Belgian football. Les Unionistes were almost forgotten, even though they are an 11-time national champion. Emerging from almost nonexistence, the illustrious project was revived by Tony Bloom's money and energy – the same person who did something similar with Brighton in his native England. However, the effect was quicker and more prominent in Belgium: after returning to the Jupiler League following a long hiatus, the team won the regular season of 2021/2022, and only in the championship round did they find themselves slightly weaker than the experienced opponent, Brugge. The team did not lose its ground in the following campaign either, finishing third in the spring. Alongside this, their debut in the Europa League took place. In that competition, the Belgians started in the qualifiers and reached the quarter-finals, where they were defeated by Bayer. They now have a new coach. Gerards fell out with the management while discussing a new contract, and as a result, Blessin, who had previously tried his hand with Genoa, returned to Belgium and began his tenure with a victory.
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In recent years, Lugano have managed to make progress once again. The Bianconeri were Swiss champions three times, but all of these titles were won in the first half of the 20th century. In the present century, the team found itself stuck in the Challenge League for a long time, and they only managed to return to the top flight in 2015. Since then, they have occasionally made their presence felt and demonstrated their ambitions. Finally, in 2022, they clinched the country's cup title. They couldn't defend it, although they reached the final. Nevertheless, they secured the 3rd place in the Super League, repeating their best result in decades.
Both clubs have not been represented in the top divisions of their countries for a long time and have never played against each other. Union looks more solid and have the home advantage. We expect them to win this encounter.
Prediction for the match: Royale Union SG to win.
