Home Alone quirk in tiny club's Champions League fairytale as Belgian runs half the pitch to score stunner
Updated . First published at
Little-known Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise have made a stunning Champions League debut by upsetting Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven 3-1 in a feisty group match in the Netherlands on Wednesday (AEST).
Union won the Belgian title for the first time in 90 years last season to qualify for Europe's top flight and have had to fight their way back from the domestic fourth division.
The triumph was a truly international collaboration for a fairytale club whose home ground holds only 9400 fans.
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R. Union Saint Gilloise celebrate their team's win. Getty
Union are captained by England's former League Two centre back Christian Burgess and the goals were scored by Canada's Promise David, Belgium's Anouar Ait El Hadj and Argentina's Kevin Mac Allister.
David converted an early penalty, El Hadj ran half the length of the pitch to score a cracking goal and Mac Allister bundled home the third with his knees from a corner.
Mac Allister is the older brother of Liverpool star Alexis and was named after Macaulay Culkin's character in Home Alone.
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Anouar Ait El Hadj and Kevin MacAllister of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise celebrate. Getty
The now 27-year-old only found out this fact when he was 18.
PSV grabbed a last minute consolation through new signing Ruben van Bommel - the son of former Netherlands standout Mark van Bommel - but it failed to put any gloss on a miserable night for the Dutch champions.
David's penalty was awarded when United States international Ricardo Pepi harshly landed his boot into the leg of Burgess.
Goalkeeper Matej Kovar then went the wrong way on the spot kick in the ninth minute.
Another error by Pepi led to Union's second before the break, a dribbling exhibition and expert finish by El Hadj.
Union are one of four clubs making their competition debuts this season.
The others are Bodø/Glimt (from Norway), Kairat (Kazakhstan) and Pafos (Cyprus).
PSV had gone unbeaten in their previous 11 group or league matches in UEFA competition.
Elsewhere, Arsenal's substitutes were decisive in a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao.
Gabriel Martinelli scored less than a minute after he came on and Leandro Trossard doubled the lead 15 minutes later.
Martinelli and Trossard also provided the assists on each other's goals.
The top eight teams advance to the round of 16.
The next 16 teams enter a two-legged playoff, with eight advancing.
