Champions League Soup: Qarabag Pull Off Spectacular Recovery Against Benfica; Union SG Shock PSV
Union Saint-Gilloise Make History in Champions League Debut
Union Saint-Gilloise (Union SG) made history in their Champions League debut, defeating PSV Eindhoven with a convincing 3-1 scoreline. This victory marks only the second time Union SG have won their opening group stage game in a major European competition, their first being in the 2022-23 Europa League.
The Belgian side started the match strongly, with Promise David scoring a penalty in the 9th minute. Enzo Barrenechea and Vangelis Pavlidis found the back of the net for Benfica, giving them a 2-0 lead inside 16 minutes. However, Union SG responded swiftly, with Anouar Ait El Hadj scoring before the break to double their lead.
PSV's Ruben van Bommel responded with a goal in the 90th minute, but it was too late for PSV to come back. Union SG further extended their lead in the 81st minute, with Kevin Mac Allister scoring to make it 3-1.
Meanwhile, Qarabag also made a comeback in their Champions League match against Benfica, winning 3-2 after being 2-0 down. This victory marked only Qarabag's second win in their last 12 matches in major European tournaments.
In a historic moment for Qarabag, who are in their second campaign in the tournament, they earned their first win in the Champions League, having previously drawn twice and lost four times. Camilo Duran equalized the score for Qarabag just after the restart, and Oleksii Kashchuk scored the winning goal in the 86th minute, securing their victory.
Union SG's impressive performance in the Champions League is reflected in their xG rate of 3.25 from their 18 shots. The Belgian team have now won three of their last four away matches in European tournaments, having more wins in their last four European away matches than they did in their previous 11 (three wins, three draws, and five losses).
This victory makes Union SG only the second Belgian team, after Club Brugge in 1992-93, to win their very first Champions League match. No other Belgian football clubs had preceded Union Saint-Gilloise in winning a Champions League match before their victory against PSV Eindhoven in the 2024/25 season, marking their debut win in the Champions League.
Qarabag, on the other hand, have more losses (4) than wins (1) in their last 12 matches in major European tournaments. However, their comeback win against Benfica is a testament to their resilience and determination.
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