Union Saint-Gilloise (USG) beat Antwerp 1-0 in the Belgian Cup final to lift their first trophy since 1935, and their first Belgian Cup since the 1913/14 season.
In a tight encounter at at the King Baudouin Stadium in Heysel, a goal just before half-time by Japanese player Koki Machida won the cup for the Saint-Gilles side.
Still hanging on in the title race, USG were keen to fight back from a notorious slump in the league play-offs. Antwerp, out of the running in the Champion's play-offs, had made this cup final their end-of-season objective.
During the game, USG took the match by the scruff of the neck, but apart from a few crosses – nothing dangerous came of it. Antwerp had a few chances with Ricthie De Laet and Mandela Keita went wide, while Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, but Antony Moris responded well.
Union's supporters celebrate. Credit: Belga / Tom Goyvaerts
The deadlock was broken just before half time. A corner served by Castro-Montes was unintentionally deflected by Van Den Bosch, landing at the feet of Machida. With the goal in front of him, the centre-back fired home the eventual match winner in 45th-minute, cueing jubilant celebrations from the yellow and blue half the stadium.
After the break, the teams went at each other in a match that remained fairly scrappy – but the Brussels side held on to secure the trophy.
Union Saint-Gilloise held on to take home the first Belgian Cup since before a few months prior to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914.
The last trophy Union Saint-Gilloise won was the Belgian league in 1935. The Brussels side won eleven championships between 1909 and 1935, making it one of the most successful sides before the Second World War.
Union's head coach Alexander Blessin celebrates after winning the cup. Credit: Belga / Tom Goyvaerts
In 1975, the team was relegated to the lower league and experienced a serious decline. In 2021, they returned back to the First Division and finished 2nd in the league (after nearly winning it), and qualified for the Champions League.
Last season, they reached the quarter finals of the Europa League and narrowly missed out on winning the Belgian league.
