The Genk steam train rumbled on happily against the red lantern Seraing. Mike Trésor was the man of the match with 2 goals and 1 assist. Genk jumps back to the lead with a 5th win in a row.
Seraing – Racing Genk in a nutshell:
- Key moment: Seraing can put Genk under pressure at the start of the second half, but at the first chance for the visitors it is immediately hit. Trésor puts Paintsil on his way to the 0-2 and a little later decides the game himself with his second of the afternoon.
- Man of the match: Two goals and an assist, Mike Trésor was the great star of Racing Genk today. Last season he did not hit once, this season he has already scored five goals and three assists after only 6 days of matches.
- Remarkable: Scoring goals remains a pain point for Seraing. Last week it hit Eupen 3 times, but in the other 5 matches it only found its way to goal once, visiting Anderlecht. Genk has his first clean sheet of the season.
Heynen misses a penalty, Trésor does hit the mark
The opening quarter was one to forget quickly. Genk was dominant, but could not create a goal danger. Seraing then lent a hand. Literally then, because after hands by Tremoulet, the ball went on the spot. Heynen was able to score his third penalty goal of the season, but shot a bad penalty within Dietsch’s reach.
Seraing escaped unscathed and escaped again moments later with a free kick by Trésor. He curled the ball nicely over the wall, but his shot hit the post. Trésor had more luck on the half hour. His shot from just outside the sixteen week on Conceição and left Dietsch without a chance: 0-1.
Seraing answered with a dangerous header from the same Conceição, but Vandevoordt prevented the equalizer with a clever save. An uninspired Seraing did not come closer to a goal, a dominant Genk kept everything neatly under control.
Seraing bounces for a moment, but then collapses
Seraing started the second half with fresh courage and substitute Elisor. He immediately put Vandevoordt to work and Marius also had a nice chance of scoring on a pass from Abanda. Genk’s answer was not long in coming. After sloppy loss of the ball with the home team, Trésor launched Paintsil and Dietsch gave it a go: 0-2.
Ten minutes later, Trésor turned out to be the Genk match winner all the way. A shot by Castro was blocked, but in the resumption the inevitable Trésor painted his fifth league goal past Dietsch. Lepoint made matters worse for Seraing immediately after, when he worked a cross from Paintsil into his own goal.
Seraing was still unsuccessfully looking for an honour-saver, while Genk played the match mature. With their fifth win in a row, the Limburgers jump back to the lead over Club Brugge.
Vrancken: “Stayed calm and deserved to win”
- Mike Trésor (Racing Genk): “We stayed focused until the very end. We also get a clean sheet for the first time this season, which is also important. You can see that we are improving game after game. As a team we are getting better and better at mastering the system. The atmosphere in the group is also excellent.”
- Bryan Heynen (Racing Genk): “It’s always difficult games here, on this small field. But we kept believing in our game and deserved to win. Seraing played in a low block so we had to be patient and not force it. After the 1-0, Seraing gave away more space and it became easier. It’s a shame I missed that penalty, but I’m happy we won and then it doesn’t matter who scores.”
- José Jeunechamps (trainer Seraing): “We went for it in the second half, but we got ourselves into trouble. Genk showed little in the first half, except for that penalty that our goalkeeper took. But we swallowed that opening goal in a carnivalesque way, that phase was very easy to defend. Afterwards we had to come and then a team like Genk will of course finish it off on the counterattack.”
- Wouter Vrancken (trainer Racing Genk): “It was not an easy race because the conditions were not ideal for us. But we stayed calm and waited for our chances. They got there and we deserved to win. After that penalty miss and that ball hit the post, there was a danger that we would force it. Now we have continued to look for solutions and have not become nervous. Then you get what you deserve.”
