Union Saint-Gilloise analysed: Rangers' Champions League qualification opponents profiled

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will travel to Belgium for the first leg on August 2/3, before hosting the return fixture at Ibrox the following week.

The Rangers Review tells you everything you need to know about the Gers’ Champions League opponents.

Who are Royale Union Saint-Gilloise?

Historically, Union Saint-Gilloise have been Belgium’s third most successful club. However, they recently spent 48 years in the proverbial wilderness before they were promoted back to the top flight in 2020.

The Belgian side are owned by Tony Bloom, the English entrepreneur who has helped build Brighton into an established English Premier League outfit in recent years.

They secured entry to the Champions League qualifying stages by finishing as runners-up to Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League. In fact, USG led the league from matchday 12 through to the Championship Play-Offs before they fell agonisingly at the final hurdle.

Who are their danger men?

Van Bronckhorst will be relieved that his side will not encounter the goalscoring prowess of Deniz Undav, who has returned to Brighton after netting a remarkable 25 goals in the Belgian Pro League last season with a further 11 assists. The dangerous Kaoru Mitoma’s loan from the Seagulls also ended this summer.

However, the Belgian side still retains the attacking qualities of forward Dante Vanzeir, who earned a call-up to the senior Belgium squad last season as he plundered 15 goals in the league for Union Saint-Gilloise. Teddy Teuma is the creative hub from midfield, with the Maltese international having laid on eight assists last term as he closes in on a century of appearances for the club.

READ MORE: Rangers Champions League draw explained: Union Saint-Gilloise and who they can face in play off

Who is their manager?

Karel Geraerts was appointed as Union Saint-Gilloise’s new manager this summer following the departure of Felice Mazzu to the vacant Anderlecht post.

Geraerts had served as Mazzu’s assistant during their rise from the second tier, with the 40-year-old likely to retain many of the side’s characteristics that underpinned their title charge last season.

What formation do they play?

Mazzu was wedded to a 3-5-2 formation during Union Saint-Gilloise’s rise to the near-summit of Belgian football, with the strike duo of Undav and Vanzeir forming a deadly partnership in front of goal.

Early indications from pre-season suggest that the Belgian side are keen to preserve those foundations, with Dennis Eckert having arrived from FC Ingolstadt to fill the shoes of the departing Undav in attack.

However, USG were equally as content to fall back into a five-man defensive shape against the league’s bigger hitters last season, which could serve as a lesson for van Bronckhorst’s men. Towards the end of last term, for instance, Union Saint-Gilloise set up in a 5-3-2 formation away at Anderlecht before prevailing with a 2-0 victory despite owning just 38% of possession.

What does their summer transfer business look like?

The Belgian side have been active in the market following recent departures, with 20-year-old winger Simon Adingra representing another potential danger man for Rangers to keep tabs on. Brighton purchased the Ivorian from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland before immediately being loaned to Union Saint-Gilloise.

Meanwhile, Ross Dykes, a 23-year-old defender who joined from Accrington Stanley, has enjoyed an encouraging start to life at the club after netting twice in pre-season.

READ MORE: What is Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rangers footballing philosophy?

How have they fared in pre-season?

USG ran out 4-0 winners over van Bronckhorst’s former employers Feyenoord in a recent pre-season outing, with four different players getting on the scoresheet.

They also played out a goalless draw with Brighton earlier this month, while they held Sporting CP to a 1-1 draw in a recent friendly.

Should Rangers be confident of progressing?

USG represent the optimum draw for Rangers on paper, with the Belgian side having been significantly weakened over the summer following the departure of Undav.

Van Bronckhorst will also be boosted by the prospect of the Ibrox return leg, with Rangers putting Borussia Dortmund, Braga and RB Leipzig to the sword in Glasgow in similar circumstances during their run to Seville last season.

However, they faced the same scenario in Champions League qualifying against Malmo last season, with a quickfire Antonio Colak double after the interval silencing a raucous Ibrox atmosphere.

Clubs of a comparable – or lesser – level to Rangers also present a potential blindspot in van Bronckhorst’s European system. Whereas the Gers could slot into the role of underdogs against both Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig last season, they struggled to impose themselves across both legs against Red Star Belgrade and Braga.

The Ibrox club have moved quickly in the transfer market with Calvin Bassey set to follow Joe Aribo through the exit door, and the hope is that the clarity should help van Bronckhorst’s preparations ahead of the first leg in Belgium next month.