K.R.C. Genk suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Club Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League on Saturday, with two nearly identical set-piece goals in five minutes proving decisive. The loss at the Jan Breydelstadion marks a sixth consecutive league defeat to the champions and leaves Genk languishing in ninth place with just nine points from six matches.
Jess Thorup's side started brightly and created the first chances, but an early goal from Carlos Forbs in the 15th minute set them back. Genk emerged with intent after the break, but within a five-minute spell, Lee Han-beom and then Brandon Mechele both headed home from deliveries by Joaquin Seys. Midfielder Bryan Heynen said the team was obviously disappointed and that in phases they had shown they could play with them and created chances too.
Genk had several opportunities to score themselves. Noah Adedeji-Sternberg was denied by Yann Sommer, a clever backheel from Magnus Erenbjerg set Rafiu Durosinmi clear but the striker missed, Ryotaro Yokoyama hit the post, and a late effort from Ibrahima Diakhon was saved by Tobe Brughmans. Durosinmi, the club's top scorer this season with five goals, also spurned a big chance after a mistake by Hans Vanaken.
The Danish coach felt his team's performance deserved more than the scoreline suggested. "I thought we were good in the match and also created chances," Thorup reacted. "If you look at the statistics, we had as many chances as Club, but it's obviously about scoring." He stressed the team had prepared for these situations but the execution failed, which made the difference against a top side.
The defeat leaves Genk a full ten points behind league leaders Gent. Their recent form shows one win, three draws, and one loss from the last five league outings. The next opportunity for points comes in two weeks when 18th-placed Kortrijk visit the Cegeka Arena. That match, scheduled for October 10th, is a must-win for Genk to improve their league position. Preparations for that fixture, including the latest squad news, begin on the training pitch on Monday.
This story first appeared at Sporza Voetbal
