Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League match.
PSV Eindhoven put on a show in the last round of the Eredivisie. The Eindhoven side is unlikely to win by a wide margin in the more competitive Champions League, even against Union Saint-Gilloise, who are making their first-ever appearance in European competition.
PSV Eindhoven
At the weekend PSV Eindhoven were involved in a real goal fest — a 5:3 away win against NEC Nijmegen. Both defences struggled, including that of the reigning champions. The chaos that led to a penalty for NEC summed up the defensive issues, though the home side struck the crossbar from the spot and missed the chance to make it 5:4. After five rounds, PSV are the league’s top scorers with 17 goals. It is also worth recalling last season’s UCL play-off run, when PSV knocked out Juventus (1:2, 3:1) before crashing against Arsenal (1:7, 2:2).
Union Saint-Gilloise
Union Saint-Gilloise have never featured in the Champions League before, though they were crowned Belgian champions for the 12th time this spring — their first title since 1935. In the meantime, the Brussels club had fallen as low as the fourth tier of Belgian football. Now under Sébastien Pocognoli, Union lead the Belgian Pro League after seven rounds with a three-point cushion and a goal difference of +12.
PSV Eindhoven vs Union Saint-Gilloise Prediction
Domestically, Union Saint-Gilloise have been solid at the back, but European games tell another story. Four of their last five Europa League matches ended 2:1, three of them wins, including away at Ajax. With both sides capable of scoring in Eindhoven, the smarter pick is on goals.
