Another great performance: the very strong Union Saint-Gilloise reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League after a clear 3-0 victory | sports

Manchester United, Juventus, Roma, Leverkusen, Sevilla, Arsenal/Sporting, Feyenoord, Union SG… You read that right. Soon the tiny Brussels club with a budget of barely 20 million euros will be in the drum among the absolute European superpowers in the quarter-final draw of the Europa League. The union certainly should not feel inferior or embarrassed. The team has already gained enough fame on its European track and with the Union Berlin scalps, has more confidence in the sequel.

Last year, Al-Ittihad had already garnered attention in Europe, but then as a club that miraculously rose from the dead and immediately contended for the title in its return year in the Belgian top flight. But this season, Union is putting a thick layer on top of that by playing a leading role in the Europa League. Worthy of admiration, admirable, unique… Complete the excel yourself.

For the fourth time already, Union SG played against Union Berlin this season. Each time, the Belgian club has put in a very strong performance: it has never been played by the top German club that sits at the top of the Bundesliga. If Teoma & Co. Under heavy pressure, the resistance always proves to be strong enough not to slip.

Once again, Union put in a great team performance. Elegant football at the back, plenty of fighting in midfield with Teoma ‘leading by example’, and threatening rampant attacks through Lazar, Adingra and Boniface.

We repeat ourselves about Boniface. What an asset Union SG has: a tough guy linked to football ability. Union Berlin was at a loss. Boniface nearly gave Union SG the lead after five minutes. He hit the rebound of Adingra’s cracked shot that was stopped just before the line, directly onto the post.

There’s a good click between Adingra – essentially Vertessen’s replacement – and Boniface. Adingra would soon make up for the open goal opportunity missed earlier. He would snatch the ball away from Leite if the pass was too short and pass it to Teuma. I knocked the guard captain Rono from close range. His fourth European goal may be the most important of his entire career. She will also be happy after missing a penalty kick to exit the Belgian Cup against Antwerp.

And the maturity of this SG union shows that they have not yet lost their heads in the lead. Union Berlin could do little. Burgess took the sting out of the danger counter just before half-time. It makes sense that Union SG would have two minds in the second half: defending a 1-0 lead and the hypothetical tooth-and-nails situation or chasing a 2-0 break free as quickly as possible?

Well, Boniface was more into the second scenario. Just after the hour mark, he fiddled with his defender and put the ball in ready Lazar: 2-0. Al-Ittihad fans were reassured: their team would not concede on this. Haberer’s removal played a greater role in the interests of the union SG. Labussine would bring the score to 3-0 in the final minute. For example, Union SG put a huge exclamation mark behind its impressive performance.

And the Belgian FA fans were allowed to start their countless crazy evening. With a record number of spectators – sometimes at the Anderlecht stadium – since the return at the highest level. Such European stunts naturally help win many souls.

Aside from the customer loyalty among its fans and the overdose of sympathy the union arouses throughout Belgium, its own treasury benefits from the European campaign. Reaching the quarter-finals will earn the federation an additional €1.8m. In total, the Brussels club has already earned around €11m in prize money this European season.

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