Union Saint-Gilloise will face Ajax in the Europa League knock-out stages, while RSC Anderlecht will face Turkey’s Fenerbahçe following a draw held on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
The winner will advance to the round of 16. Ajax finished 12th in the league phase after passing through three preliminary rounds.
Union Saint-Gilloise had a challenging start under new coach Sébastien Pocognoli. The Brussels-based team earned just 2 points from their first half of the league phase, with defeats to Fenerbahçe (2-1) and Midtjylland (1-0) and draws against Bodo/Glimt (0-0) and Roma (1-1) at King Baudouin Stadium.
They later won their next three matches by narrow margins against Twente (0-1), Nice (2-1), and Braga (2-1). They concluded the phase with a loss to Rangers at Hampden Park (2-1), finishing 21st with 11 points.
Union will play Ajax on February 13 and 20, with the second leg in Amsterdam. If victorious, they will face either Eintracht Frankfurt or Olympique Lyonnais. A match against Frankfurt would be a rematch of last season’s heroic qualification to the Europa League round of 16.
Anderlecht to face Fenerbahçe
Anderlecht, who finished 10th with 14 points, will go up against Fenerbahçe, who secured the last spot by finishing 24th with 10 points.
Last Thursday, Anderlecht missed the chance for direct qualification to the round of 16. A defeat to Hoffenheim (3-4) cost them a valuable point that would have placed them in the top eight of the league phase. Despite being unbeaten in their first six games, the final two matches derailed their hopes.
Anderlecht's Keisuke Goto celebrates after scoring during a soccer game between Belgian soccer team RSC Anderlecht and German Hoffenheim, Thursday 30 January 2025 in Brussels. Credit: Belga / Virginie Lefour
In the qualifying play-offs, Anderlecht overcame Minsk (0-1 and 1-0). They started strong in the league phase with three victories over Ferencvaros (2-1), Real Sociedad (1-2), and Ludogorets (2-0). After a draw at RFS (1-1) and another against Porto (2-2), they secured a critical win against Slavia Prague (1-2). However, losses to Plzen (2-0) and Hoffenheim ultimately cost them a top-eight finish.
The first leg of the play-off will take place in Istanbul on 13 February at the Sukru-Saracoglu Stadium. Anderlecht will host the return leg at Lotto Park on 20 February. If successful, David Hubert’s team will face either Rangers or Olympiakos in the round of 16.
