Genk secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Westerlo in the Jupiler Pro League's second round at Seghers Arena on Saturday evening. The result keeps the hosts moving in the right direction after a mixed opening to the campaign. By then, the visitors had already shown they could trouble the defence, but Genk's response was decisive.
D. Ourega opened the scoring in the sixth minute, catching Westerlo off guard with a clinical finish. The hosts were not content to rest, and the game opened up when M. Smets turned the ball into his own net in the thirteenth minute. To be fair, the visitors had drawn level just before the break through B. Heynen's forty-third minute strike, but R. Durosinmi had already restored the lead from the spot in the forty-first. And here's the thing — Genk controlled the tempo despite Westerlo's willingness to attack.
The visitors pushed back after going behind, with B. Heynen providing a moment of hope before A. Bibout sealed the outcome in the seventy-ninth minute. Westerlo made changes to chase the game, bringing on N. Bassette and I. Bangoura in quick succession. Genk responded by refreshing their attack, introducing L. Mbamba-Muanda and later I. Fofana. The yellow cards accumulated on both sides as the match grew tighter, with five bookings for each team by the final whistle.
Genk dominated the statistical picture, registering 18 shots compared to Westerlo's six, with seven on target against just two. The hosts created seven big chances while the visitors managed only one, a disparity that reflected the flow of the contest. Possession sat at 51 per cent for Genk, but more telling was the shot accuracy — 32 per cent for the home side against 17 per cent for the visitors. By then, the result was never truly in doubt.
The victory moves Genk to eight points from five matches, keeping them in the upper half of the table. Westerlo remain in thirteenth place with four points, their recent form offering little comfort. The hosts have shown resilience after their opening defeats, while the visitors continue to search for consistency. This was a match decided by moments, and Genk took theirs.