Union SG and LASK Linz will be looking to claim their first victory in Group E of the Europa League when they lock horns in Brussels on Thursday night.
The Belgian hosts are gearing up for another European match at Anderlecht's Lotto Park as their home stadium, Stade Joseph Marien, does not meet the UEFA standards.
Match preview
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After reaching the quarter-finals in their first-ever Europa League campaign last season, Union SG are facing an uphill battle to escape the group stage this term as they have only picked up one point from their opening two fixtures in Group E.
The Belgian outfit were held to a 1-1 draw at home against Toulouse in matchday one before suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Liverpool three weeks ago, and they subsequently find themselves sitting third in Group E, three points behind Toulouse in second.
Alexander Blessin's side may have yet to hit the ground running in Europe, but they have turned their fortunes around in the Belgian Pro League following a rocky first few weeks to the season, as they have won each of their last five top-flight matches to help them climb to the top of the table, sitting four points clear of second-placed Anderlecht.
Union SG returned from the international break with a comfortable 4-1 home victory over Eupen last weekend, courtesy of goals from Gustaf Nilsson, Mathias Rasmussen, Mohamed Amoura and Elton Kabangu, and the result has provided Blessin's men with a much-needed confidence boost ahead of a potentially-pivotal Europa League clash with LASK Linz.
Les Unionistes have only won one of their last seven Europa League matches across the last two seasons, but they will view Thursday's clash and the reverse fixture in two weeks' time as winnable games that can propel them into contention for a top-two finish.
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LASK Linz, meanwhile, are one of only six teams in this year's Europa League who are yet to collect a single point from their first two games, after losing 3-1 at home to Liverpool in matchday one and 1-0 away to Toulouse three weeks ago.
Hopes of reaching the Europa League knockout rounds for the first time in four years are already fading for Thomas Sageder's men, who can ill-afford to drop too many more points if they wish to close the four-point gap that currently separates them at the foot of Group E from second-placed Toulouse.
Since losing to Toulouse, LASK Linz have won back-to-back games in the Austrian Bundesliga, including a notable 1-0 away victory over reigning champions Red Bull Salzburg last weekend thanks to a first-half strike from Robert Zulj.
Victory in Salzburg has provided the Black-Whites with a timely boost heading into Thursday's match as they have experienced mixed fortunes on their travels so far this season, winning three, drawing two and losing three of their eight away fixtures in all tournaments.
LASK Linz have lost three of their previous four meetings with Belgian opposition, but they came out on top in their last such encounter away from home, beating Royal Antwerp 1-0 in the 2020-21 Europa League group stage.
Team News
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Union SG winger Henok Teklab remains out with an ankle injury, but the Belgian side have been boosted by the return of Dennis Eckert Ayensa, who watched on as an unused substitute last weekend after four games out with a knock; the striker – who has scored seven goals in eight appearances so far this season – may be fit to start on Thursday.
Nilsson will likely lead the line if Ayensa is not deemed fit to start, with Lazare Amani and Cameron Puertas set to provide support in attack, although Amoura – who has scored three of his six goals this term as a substitute, will push for a starting spot.
Koki Machida could keep his place in the back three alongside Kevin Mac Allister and Cameron Burgess, while Charles Vanhoutte is set to be joined in centre-midfield by either Rasmussen or Noah Sadiki.
As for LASK Linz, they are still having to cope without Tobias Anselm, Yannis Letard, Adil Taoui (all ACL), Lenny Pintor (muscle), Rene Renner (tendon), Felix Luckeneder, Philipp Wiesinger and Jorg Siebenhandl (all unspecified) due to injury.
Roma loanee Ebrima Darboe has emerged as a doubt after he was not involved in the matchday squad last weekend, so Sascha Horvath, Branko Jovicic and Ivan Ljubic are all set to battle for starts in centre-midfield.
Top scorer Robert Zulj, who has found the net seven times in all tournaments so far this season, is expected to lead the line in between fellow attackers Marin Ljubicic and Moses Usor.
Union SG possible starting lineup:
Morris; Mac Allister, Burgess, Machida; Castro-Montes, Sadiki, Vanhoutte, Lapoussin; Amani, Nilsson, Puertas
LASK Linz possible starting lineup:
Lawal; Ziereis, Andrade, Talovyerov; Flecker, Jovicic, Horvath, Bello; Ljubicic, Zulj, Usor
We say: Union SG 1-1 LASK Linz
The pressure is on both teams to come away with a positive result on Thursday as they endeavour to keep their slim hopes of a top-two finish in Group E alive.
A victory would do the world of good for either side, but we feel that the spoils may be shared in a closely-fought contest considering that there is little to separate these two clubs.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
