Former Portsmouth favourite’s Belgium fairy tale continues with debut Champions League triumph over Rangers
The Champions League dream is well and truly under way for ex-Pompey favourite Christian Burgess.
The 31-year-old made his debut in the European competition on Tuesday evening as his Royale Union Saint-Gilloise side took on Rangers in the first leg of their third-round qualifier.
Union marked their first taste of Champions League football with a win, as Felice Mazzu’s men defeated the Scottish Champions 2-0 at the Stade Joseph Marien.
Goals from Teddy Tuema and a Dante Vanzeir penalty completed the victory, with Burgess featuring for the full 90 minutes.
Most Popular
-
1
Portsmouth boss' verdict on latest speculation over Leicester City’s George Hirst and reveals likely destination for Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool target
-
2
LATEST: The future of Portsmouth international starlet becomes clear with offers tabled for exit
-
3
League One latest: MK Dons have bid for Portsmouth target rejected by Cambridge as Sheffield Wednesday close in on former Arsenal and Ipswich defender made available by Cardiff
-
4
Former Portsmouth and Swansea midfielder George Byers' angry reaction to Sheffield Wednesday substitution now watched more than 320,000 times on Sky Sports Twitter page
-
5
LATEST: Development over future of Portsmouth defender linked with Hull City, Swindon Town, Mansfield Town and Leyton Orient this summer
It was against strong competition too, with last season’s Europa League runners up including the likes of James Tavernier, Jon McLaughlin and Connor Goldson in their starting XI.
Indeed, that victory continues the centre-back’s fairy tale with the Belgian side, which has so far seen two seasons of success following his move from Pompey in July 2020.
His first campaign saw Union reach Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League for the first time in 48 years.
They subsequently finished as leaders in the top league the following season, only to lose out to eventual winners Club Brugge after suffering late heartbreak in the decisive play-offs.
Although he missed out on Pro League glory in his maiden top-flight year, Mazzu’s men are looking to bounce back from that pain and are so far undefeated in their opening two league games.
After opening their Champions League account with a win over Rangers, Union are only half of the way through their third-round qualifier, with a second-leg trip to Ibrox on August 9.
Should they progress, a two-legged play-off tie awaits against either PSV or Monaco to determine a place in this season’s competition, with the loser dropping into the Europa League.
As Danny Cowley’s side began their 2022-23 League One campaign with a 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, Burgess could still be in with a chance of playing against Lionel Messi or Harry Kane on the highest stage of European football.