Union Saint-Gilloise will face off against an English side for the fifth time in European competition. After losing their first three, they beat Liverpool 2-1 at home in the most recent one in December 2023 (UEFA Europa League group stage).

Since losing their first game against a Belgian side in March 1970 (0-2 v Anderlecht), Newcastle are unbeaten in their last nine such matches in European competition, winning eight of them (D1). The most recent of those, however, came in a 2-2 draw against Club Brugge in November 2012 in the UEFA Europa League.

English sides have won nine of their previous 11 away games against Belgian opponents in the UEFA Champions League (D1 L1), with Aston Villa’s defeat at Club Brugge in November 2024 (0-1) being the only English defeat in this run.

The last Belgian side to lose their first home match in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League was K. Lierse SK in October 1960 (0-3 v Barcelona). Since then, none of the last six have suffered defeat (W3 D3).

Union Saint-Gilloise won their first ever European Cup/UEFA Champions League match 3-1 against PSV on MD1. The last Belgian side to win their first two games in the European Cup was RWD Molenbeek in 1975.

Newcastle United have won just one of their last nine games in the UEFA Champions League (D3 L5), a 4-1 win over PSG in October 2023. The Magpies have won 32% of their games in the competition (8/25), with Blackburn (17%) the only English side with a lower win ratio.

Union Saint-Gilloise had the highest direct speed average on MD1 of the current UEFA Champions League campaign, progressing the ball upfield quicker in their open play sequences than any other team (2.31 metres per second). Indeed, they averaged the fewest passes per open play sequence (2.2), opting for a more direct style of attack.

Anthony Gordon scored Newcastle’s consolation goal in their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona on MD1. The last Newcastle player to score in their first two matches in a major European campaign was Patrick Kluivert in 2004-05 in the UEFA Cup.

Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães applied more high-intensity pressures to opponents than any other central midfielder on MD1 of this season’s UEFA Champions League (70).

Union Saint-Gilloise’s Kevin Mac Allister netted in his first UEFA Champions League appearance on MD1 – each of his last three major European goals have been away, with Mac Allister scoring just once in seven home games.