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00:00:01
Union Saint Gilloise - Champions League Opposition Profile
12 Plays1 day ago
Union Saint Gilloise are an unknown quantity for most Newcastle fans, listen to our team profile on Newcastle's next Champions League opponent.
Michael Grahamslaw breaks down:
⚽️ USG’s rise and style of play
🔑 Key threats Newcastle must handle
🏟️ The Lotto Park atmosphere
🧠 Tactical insights and how Toon can win
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
After defeat to Barcelona, Newcastle United's Champions League adventure takes them to Belgium. And it's not against one of the traditional giants. It's Royal Union Saint-Gilois.
00:00:12
Speaker
The old giant of Belgian football has returned to so conquer its former stomping ground after 80 years since their last title.
00:00:23
Speaker
If you're around my age, and I'll let you guess that one, it's very likely that you know... very little about this prestigious club, but just 12 years ago, they avoided almost certain doom in relegation to the fourth tier of Belgian football, only due to another club in the division being relegated due to financial irregularities.
00:00:43
Speaker
A lucky break, but one they took full advantage of. Ten years later, they were in the Europa League quarterfinals against Bayer Leverkusen, and now their first home proper Champions League game comes against Newcastle United.
00:00:58
Speaker
It's a big occasion in USG have rapidly climbed through European football to get to this point. It'll be a strange contest for both teams, one
Union Saint-Gilois: From Outsiders to Champions
00:01:07
Speaker
full of emotion. So just five years ago, if we go back, Union Central War weren't even amongst Belgium's top division, but they've had smart ownership and even better recruitment in that time to go from outsiders to Belgian champions in almost record time.
00:01:24
Speaker
But the way they've done it is the most remarkable thing. They've played exciting, high-intensity football, and they're a side that when you're clued up, You can't help but admire what they've actually achieved.
00:01:36
Speaker
They're making waves in Europe. We saw them in the Europa League. Now they're in the Champions League. They're not just here to make up the numbers. Their squad is built on cheap but smart signings, clever tactics, and most importantly, which we'll dive into further in the video, fearless mentality.
00:01:53
Speaker
At their traditional home, the intimate Joseph Marianne Stadium, the atmosphere is fierce. every clo Every seat is close to the pitch. The fans are right on top of you.
00:02:04
Speaker
And it's very different to, let's say, the Nou Camp or the Parc de France. But in some ways, that makes it a lot harder. However, Newcastle won't be playing the Union St. Trelaw at their home stadium. Unfortunately, the ground doesn't meet UEFA requirements and the club will be forced to play their games at Lotto Park, a stadium just 10 minutes away and owned by their local rivals and elect.
00:02:28
Speaker
Could you imagine Newcastle playing their home Champions League games at the stadium of... I'll say a light? Yeah, i can't either. So... It's not going to be a traditional home game, but it is still a little way game in Europe for the Magpies. And our mentality shouldn't change because of that.
00:02:45
Speaker
But how will the opposition line up? Well, tactically, they are a high energy team. They play the 3-5-2 system with three centre-backs, a back four as defensive midfielders, then one more attacking midfielder, and then obviously your two strikers.
Tactical Overview of Union Saint-Gilois
00:03:02
Speaker
They'll press from the front where they can. and look to quickly break through the channels and through that counter on the counter attack with that attack midfielder as well. Usually Hajj. But they have got a lot of players that can step into that role.
00:03:15
Speaker
There are side built on collective strength rather than the big names. Let's be honest, you look at the squad and go, There's a couple of names that I know in there, but no one who you look at and go, wow, that's the next big thing in football.
00:03:28
Speaker
But they create a lot of chaos, create mistakes, and they every single player looks like they would die on that pitch for the other. um And that... That's something you can't teach in football. So that makes them very, very difficult to beat.
00:03:45
Speaker
The press, with intensity, they're organised, their ability to transition from defence to attack kind of come in seconds due to the long ball that they like to ah play, up to the two large strikers.
00:03:58
Speaker
They're going to create chaos. There's going to be mistakes on both sides. But one thing they are good at, you know if you're creating transitions yourself, you've got to be very aware that what the opposition can
Defensive Challenges and Key Players
00:04:09
Speaker
do.
00:04:09
Speaker
And they are pretty decent at preventing opposition transitions as well. We didn't see that as as much against PSV because their attempt to get forward.
00:04:20
Speaker
We're often through Van Bommel, who is a very exciting, and young, tricky winger. But what you'll find with USG... When they do pick up those yellow cards and they make the fouls, it's usually two fouls per man across 10 players.
00:04:35
Speaker
They might create 20 fouls, but no one ends up getting yellow carded that severely or anywhere near to a red because they've spread them out. um You rarely see them giving red cards.
00:04:45
Speaker
And that's not because of the reason Liverpool rarely get them. and But score depth isn't really on the level of europeans giant ah Europe's giants, ah let's be honest.
00:04:57
Speaker
When they're forced to defend for long spells, they can also crack under sustained pressure. Yeah. They have also struggled at defending corners with six of the 25 goals conceded in the league last season coming from corners, which doesn't seem like a lot.
00:05:12
Speaker
But when you consider, you know, you only concede 25 goals, over a fifth of those have come from corners. It will be a bit of a worry. For Newcastle, it's ah it's a massive contrast and a big mentality test.
00:05:27
Speaker
Newcastle will be seen as the Premier League powerhouse. And the Belgians will be seen as the the plucky underdog who could punch above their weight. um Let's be honest, Union Saint-Gilwell are still a good side. They will have to be respected by Newcastle United.
00:05:42
Speaker
And if they don't, they could cause some serious issues. um But who could potentially cause those issues? ah We know that Newcastle have struggled to score goals this season. And if USG are going to keep a clean sheet, it will potentially be down to Christian Burgess, um the big man at the back.
00:06:00
Speaker
You might recall the name from spells at Middlesbrough and Portmouth. for example, but he's got a fantastic aerial presence since leaving Portsmouth and moving to Belgium.
00:06:10
Speaker
ah the but The Englishman's been an absolute unit at the back. He's made over 20, not 20. If he'd made over 20 appearances, wouldn't really be talking about him. He's made over 200 appearances,
00:06:21
Speaker
and is a fan favourite in Belgium as it stands. And then their engine in midfield comes in the form of Charles Van Hout. He links midfield to attack with energy and ball-carrying skills.
00:06:33
Speaker
um I will also say that the main attacking threat comes through Hatch, who is the centre-attacking midfielder, who is often the one that players will immediately pass to once they've picked up the ball in that transition.
00:06:45
Speaker
They'll give the ball to him and just let him run. um There is a goal against PSV if you see it. They pick up the they do exactly that, actually. They pick up the ball, pass it forward to Hajj, well, knock it forward to Hajj, and he just runs and runs and runs, beats his man with ease. Looks like he's got fantastic agility, and he just knocks it past the goalkeeper.
00:07:06
Speaker
I think that makes it 2-0. So he looks like a real talent. And then up front... Strangely enough, their main striker is a player who was playing in Malta just three years ago.
00:07:17
Speaker
So you wouldn't think he would cause Newcastle United any problems. But when you look at Promise David's you see a nightmare in disguise for defenders.
00:07:28
Speaker
Maybe not even in disguise. He is an absolute massive unit, a huge aerial presence, and he knows where the back of the net is. I'm almost surprised that he was playing the Malta three years ago because when you look at him, he looks a right talent. um Could he even get a move to one of the big ah five leagues, in my opinion, in the next season or two.
00:07:49
Speaker
The truth is Union Saint-Gilois don't rely on a couple of superstars. They're a collective. Every player knows their role and that makes them extremely hard to beat.
Fearless Playstyle and Mentality
00:07:59
Speaker
If we look at the fixture against PSV, there are three main takeaways that I took from that game and that I think Newcastle will have to pay sharp attention to.
00:08:08
Speaker
The first came from the sheer number of tackles that Union Saint-Gilois actually put in. um They attempted 41 tackles in the game overall. It felt like more. if I'm being completely honest, watching the game.
00:08:21
Speaker
And they were only successful with around 20 points. I can't remember the exact figure. It was definitely around 20. It might have been slightly higher or slightly lower. But to put that into context, it's the same figure that Newcastle had for their first 290 minutes of Premier League football this season.
00:08:41
Speaker
And that was against Aston Villa, Liverpool and Leeds. So Newcastle matched that figure in the 85th minute against Leeds. So it wasn't the full game, but... When you consider the added time of um the first two games, it added about 25 minutes on. um So when you consider the fact that it took Newcastle 290 minutes to put in 41 tackles, Union Saint-Gilwell did it in around 90. It shows you that the they're willing to put in the tackle, but their success rate being just 20, around 50%.
00:09:16
Speaker
is particularly poor. Newcastle's was significantly higher over that um period. So they're going to regularly fall and chat or fail in the challenge, shall I say, but they'll rarely give away fouls, only giving away nine against PSV, which means dribblers are going to be key.
00:09:31
Speaker
They don't tend to put the foot in um to foul the dribbler. The dribbler can fend them off and keep a lot keep the ball at the same time, which is going to be key when you've got Anthony Alanga, Jacob Murphy, or Anthony Gordon.
00:09:46
Speaker
and Dribblers are going to be key. Serginio Dest and Robin Van Bommel were PSV's best players. And they had nine ah successful dribbles between them, which was more than the entire USG team.
00:09:59
Speaker
And then the the second thing I noticed was um the fact that they play without any fear whatsoever. I said earlier, every player knows their role and the two wingers and Hodge.
00:10:09
Speaker
the attacking midfielder, they will dribble into danger with their eyes open, knowing they're very likely to be tackled, but they will battle to come out with the ball. And if they come out with the ball, because everyone around them is expecting, well, everyone on the USG side is expecting them to get through it, but everyone on the the opposition side is going, right, he's just ran into danger.
00:10:29
Speaker
We're going to get the ball, we're going to have a transition. The fact that very often those wingers in the attacking midfielder come out with the ball They tend to create a lot of space that typically wouldn't be there.
00:10:40
Speaker
And then another thing to back up the fact that, you know, they they are fearless. They tend to take a lot of shots from obtuse angles, um angles where you're going, oh, he's not going to shoot from there.
00:10:52
Speaker
um And they'll end up curling it pretty nicely to the fact that the keeper can still get a hand on it and make the save. But it's a really good shot for that position. And it's something Nick Pope is going to have to be very, very on his heels about and actually be very aware of what's going on
Set-Piece Strength and Competitive Edge
00:11:11
Speaker
around him. Because a slight mistake could lead the Union St. Gilles while taking the lead.
00:11:16
Speaker
And let's be honest, Newcastle don't really have it in them at the minute to score three goals. um So that might be a problem. The third thing from Union St. Jouard's side of things was their aerial dominance in both boxes.
00:11:30
Speaker
I was actually stunned after the game to look at the stats and see that PSV matched USG in the air. Throughout the game, it was one of those where every single time it felt like a meaningful aerial duel happened.
00:11:47
Speaker
It was won by Union Saint-Gilois, but then all of the ones that were long balls up to the two strikers, the defenders dealt with quite nicely. But when it came to set pieces and crosses into the box, it felt like USG were winning every aerial duel. So it might not be a case of the dominant all over the pitch, but but they're dominant where it matters.
00:12:11
Speaker
um PSV couldn't get close to them on set pieces, and that's where most of their goals seem to come from in these high-intensity games against tough opposition. So Newcastle going to have to match that if they want to get anything from the game.
00:12:26
Speaker
But don't overlook the atmosphere as well. This is going to be the first home game in the Champions League for USG. Think back to last year. What was our first since, what was it, 2003?
00:12:42
Speaker
Yeah, the atmosphere was absolutely incredible. um and i And you expect the same from you Union St. Giois. Although it isn't at their traditional stadium, they've managed to make Lotto Park their home in Europe in recent years. They've got results.
00:12:58
Speaker
I mean, they beat Liverpool. They've drawn with Eintracht Frankfurt, got results against Union St. Berlin. um Braga and Rangers in Europe over the last few years. So they're definitely not a pushover.
00:13:10
Speaker
um That you're and Liverpool result, know it was in the Europa League and it was Liverpool that already qualified. But at the same time, you look at that and go, any team that beats a Liverpool B team is still a team to be worried about.
00:13:22
Speaker
So yeah, it's the Ultras are going to be loud. passionate and even in Lotto Park they're going to be right on top of the pitch. It's going to be an intense environment, a proper away night and Newcastle will have to be at their best to ensure they don't join Liverpool, Frankfurt etc as teams that Union Saint-Gilois have come away with a good result against.
Newcastle United's Challenge Against USG
00:13:45
Speaker
It's a proper mentality test when you um think of it. You look at the games against Barcelona, PSG, And I have already heard Newcastle fans talking about this game as if it's a guaranteed win.
00:13:57
Speaker
And it definitely is not. ah Don't get me wrong. I do think we will win. I do think we'll get a result at worst. um But these are a very, very tough team. And if you drop your guard, they'll let you know about it and they'll punish you twice over.
00:14:14
Speaker
um If Newcastle treat this like a big game, like they did Barcelona, the quality the the difference in quality should tell between the players. And Newcastle should come away with the result.
00:14:26
Speaker
But mentality is the biggest thing here. So can Newcastle United in anyhow get their first three points on the road in the Champions League? Union Central Wild will make it awkward. They're going fight for every ball. They'll feed off the crowd.
00:14:39
Speaker
Let's be honest, the lads and lasses that go to our away games, they're pretty special themselves. So I can see Newcastle matching the atmosphere all ends up just like they did in Dortmund, just like they did in Paris and just like they did in Milan.
00:14:54
Speaker
um So it's going to be an absolutely fantastic atmosphere. Quality, depth and physicality should shine through for Newcastle. It's not going to be easy. It might even be ugly.
00:15:06
Speaker
But this is the kind of away day that builds Champions League campaigns. If Newcastle are serious about progressing, these are the games they need to find a way to win. What do you think?
00:15:17
Speaker
Are USG going to spring a surprise? Are Newcastle going to finally get three points in the Champions League? um I say finally, it's been their second game, but it feels like so long since that PSG victory. um Drop your predictions in the comments. Smash the like button if you're buzzing for Champions League nights again.
Promoting The Daily Newcastle Podcast
00:15:35
Speaker
And don't forget to subscribe for more previews and breakdowns because it all starts here in Newcastle, under the lights, in Belgium. And check out the Daily Newcastle podcast on Spotify as well, where you'll find myself, Michael Grahamslow, alongside Ian McKay, Nicola Pringle-Adams, John Ayres, and Kevin Esther for Newcastle United content every single day.