Saint Gilloise vs. Union Berlin: Preview and betting tips

Thursday’s program will offer, among other things, the Union derby. The Royale Union Saint Gilloise will welcome Union Berlin to their home ground in a Europa League quarter-final clash. The opening game ended in a 3-3 draw, so the potential for a good match is there.

Union Saint Gilloise is the big surprise of the last season of the Belgian league. It is also doing very well now that it is second, five points behind first-placed Genk. They even beat the table leaders at the weekend.

Union are also having a great season. Still fighting for the dream Champions League, it has lost only one of its 16 matches since the start of spring. They are in a nice fourth place in the table, but they are only one point better than fifth-placed Freiburg.

Key figures of Saint Gilloise

Victor Boniface shines at the top of the home side’s attack, the Nigerian talent has netted nineteen goals and assisted seven times. Team captain and Maltese national midfielder Teddy Teuma struck nine times and added thirteen assists.

Union’s key figures

The visitors rely on long-time mainstay Sherald Becker. The African striker scored eight goals and assisted seven times. Janik Haberer, a summer signing from Freiburg for the midfield, has opened the net five times and assisted on two goals.

Prediction

Saint Gilloise is putting up goal after goal, but the defense is on fire. In the last six games, it has conceded an average of 2.3 goals. With a total of thirty-five goals conceded, it has the worst defense of the Pro League Top 5.

Union, on the other hand, is the defensive champion. In the league it has only conceded twenty-eight goals, only star-studded Bayern Munich are better. They have only scored more than once in two of their sixteen games this calendar year.

Given Union’s cup experience last year, their well-played defence and Saint Gillois’ defensive problems, I expect the German favourite to snatch promotion in Belgium.