Union Saint-Gilloise qualified for a second year in a row to the UEFA Europa League group stage after beating Lugano 0-1 in Geneva on Thursday evening.
Union's trip to Switzerland was successfully completed with a win after the Brussels side had also made it 2-0 at Lotto Park last Thursday. Denis Eckert Ayensa (7th) gifted the Unionists an early lead, just like a week ago
Playing at a neutral ground in Geneva because, like Union Saint-Gilloise, Lugano's stadium is too small to meet UEFA regulations and standards, the Swiss side was unable to fight back in the remainder of the first half.
After the break, the visitors controlled the game, but never really looked like scoring. Lugano collected another red card for Alban Hajdari (90,+3) in the closing seconds.
After securing qualification, Union enter the draw on Friday at 13:00 in Nyon, Switzerland, to find out who they will play in the Europa League group stage draw Last year, the quarter-finals were the final stage against Bayer Leverkusen.
The draw
Twelve clubs automatically qualify: Brighton, Liverpool and West Ham (England), Real Betis and Villareal (Spain), Rennes and Toulouse (France), Atalanta and AS Roma (Italy), Freiburg and Leverkusen (Germany) and Sporting Portugal (Portugal).
Union's Noah Sadiki and Union's Dennis Eck in celebrate after the game. Credit: Belga / Laurie Dieffembacq
They are joined by the ten victorious teams from this final play-off round as well as the ten clubs beaten in their Champions League play-off or 3rd preliminary round (League route): AEK Athens (eliminated by Antwerp), Maccabi Haifa (Israel), Molde (Norway), Panathainaikos (Greece), Rakow Czestochowa (Poland), Rangers FC (Scotland), Sturm Graz (Austria), Servette de Genève (Swizterland), Marseille (France) and TSC Backa Topoloa (Serbia).
Successful night for Belgian teams
In the UEFA Conference League, all Belgian teams qualified.
Club Brugge drew against Osasuna to win on aggregate, while Genk were forced to penalties against Adana Demirspor, and won the shoot-out 5-4. Gent beat Apoel 1-2, making it 1-4 over two games for the Flemish side. The Conference League draw will be at 14:30.
