Real Sociedad travel to Belgium this Thursday to face Union Saint-Gilloise in their second UEFA Europa League League Stage match. The game, to be played at Den Dreef in Leuven with a 18:45 kick-off, marks the club's first official match on Belgian soil since their 1980 UEFA Cup tie against Sporting Lokeren.
Their European campaign, however, started with a 1-2 home defeat to Bournemouth, making the trip to Leuven important for getting back on track. Luka Sučić, the team's top scorer this season with three goals, will be a key attacking threat.
Information for travelling supporters
Around 550 Real Sociedad fans are expected to attend. The official meeting point is the Oude Markt in central Leuven, where supporters should gather from 14:00 on Thursday before making the approximately 15-minute walk to the stadium. The club will deploy staff to assist travelling fans, with a contact number of 691525039. Tickets, distributed via email, can be used printed or on a mobile device. Consumption of alcoholic beverages in the street is prohibited. Inside the venue, away fan access is via the 'Away Entrance - Tervuursevest' gate. Payment within the stadium will be credit card only.
Echoes of 1980
The last time Real Sociedad played an official match in Belgium was in November 1980, for the first leg of a UEFA Cup tie against Sporting Lokeren. That side, made entirely of academy products and months away from winning the league, lost 1-0 at the Daknamstadion and, despite a 2-1 comeback win in the second leg at Atotxa with goals from Roberto López Ufarte and Jesús Mari Zamora, were eliminated on away goals (2-2 aggregate). Lokeren, featuring stars like Grzegorz Lato and Preben Elkjær, ceased to exist in 2020. Forty-six years later, the opponent is different: Union Saint-Gilloise, a team in form with three consecutive wins, including a 3-0 victory over Plzen in Europe.
Real Sociedad face this challenge with an eye on domestic duties, where they visit Malaga next Sunday.
Manager Matarazzo confirmed Real's objective in Europe. "Frankfurt is close to where I lived," said the coach, referring to the final's venue. The club's management calculates that around 16 points are needed to enter the top-8 and advance directly to the round of 16. The squad arrives in high spirits after the 3-2 win against Deportivo, with goals from Martin, Zakharyan, and Guedes. They visit Malaga next Sunday.
