Union SG had a great first half of the season. But after the winter break the people of Brussels will also have to harvest. And for this reason they will not be able to appeal to some important forces in the coming weeks.
Last summer, the Unionists saw a long list of strong players depart as well as their manager. But outgoing transfers were handled perfectly. Furthermore, new coach Alexander Blessin continued the good work of his predecessors and added some personal touches.
The results are worth seeing. Union have qualified for the intermediate round of the Conference League and have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Croky Cup. Furthermore, after 20 matchdays, they are six points clear of first-place pursuers Anderlecht.
Brussels derby
But the citizens of Brussels know well that at the moment they have nothing in hand and that the road to obtaining the prizes is still long. This path has already been started with some important agreements. The match against Anderlecht will take place shortly after the winter break. And a week and a half later, rivals from Brussels also face each other in the competition.
However, Blessin will be missing some important players in those derbies. For example, top scorer Mohamed Amoura will go to the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria. He won’t be back until the end of January. The same goes for Thierry Lazare, included in the Ivory Coast selection.
Machida also gone for a while
And on Monday the absence of a third strongman was confirmed. For example, Koki Machida was included in Japan’s official selection for the Asian Cup. The Japanese will play their last group match on January 24, but are among the favorites to win the final. In the double match against Anderlecht the defensive pillar will normally not be present.
Koki Machida, the Blue Samurai of the Union. 🇯🇵
Our defender will participate in the AFC Asia Cup with the Japanese national team. Good luck, Koki! 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/HV76eosEyn
— Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (@UnionStGilloise) January 1, 2024
2024-01-01 21:40:00
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