On August 8 at 1:00 AM, the first leg of the third round of Champions League qualifiers will see Czech team Slavia Prague host Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise at Eden Arena.
Slavia Prague currently ranks 34th among all clubs with 47 points on the UEFA European coefficient list. The team has played a total of 234 matches in competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League (87 wins, 61 draws, 86 losses). They reached the Europa League quarterfinals in 2019 and 2021 and the Conference League quarterfinals in 2022, advancing to the Europa League round of 16 last season, making them seasoned competitors in European football.
By comparison, Union Saint-Gilloise has less experience in European competition, with a current European coefficient of 27 points, ranking them 60th among all teams. Historically, they have only participated in the Champions League qualifiers twice, once in the 2022-23 season (eliminated in the third round by Rangers from Scotland). If Union Saint-Gilloise can advance, it would mark new history for the club, which was founded 126 years ago.
Both teams are in good form recently. After three games this season, Slavia Prague has two wins and one draw, keeping clean sheets in all three matches, demonstrating solid defense. Union Saint-Gilloise started the season by winning the Belgian Super Cup against Club Brugge and then achieved one win and one draw in the opening two league fixtures.
The home advantage for Slavia Prague cannot be underestimated. Focusing solely on European competition, over the past three seasons, Slavia has played 20 European matches (Champions League qualifiers, Europa League, etc.) at their home stadium, losing only three times (to Feyenoord, CFR Cluj, and AC Milan), while securing 13 victories. Notable wins include a 3-1 victory over Bundesliga side Union Berlin and a 2-0 win over Serie A’s AS Roma. Union Saint-Gilloise has a record of six wins, three draws, and three losses in 12 away European matches over the past two seasons, including a draw away to Bayer Leverkusen in the 2022-23 season and away victories over Eintracht Frankfurt and Fenerbahçe last season.
The two teams have not faced each other directly in over a decade. In European competition, Slavia Prague has met Belgian league teams (such as Anderlecht and Club Brugge) ten times, with a record of three wins, two draws, and five losses, putting them at a slight disadvantage.
In terms of squad availability, both teams have some absences. Slavia Prague will be without goalkeeper Ondřej Kolář, full-back Žmuhwald, and center-back Vlcek. Union Saint-Gilloise will miss center-backs Bourgeois and Sikes and midfielder Lazar Armani.
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