Epen ran out 4-1 winners over KRC Genk II in the opening round of the Challenger Pro League on Friday evening. The home side took control early, scoring twice in the opening quarter before Genk II pulled one back in the second half. A late strike from Vidigal sealed the result, leaving the visitors with nothing to show for their dominance in possession and attacks.
And here's the thing about this one — Epen didn't need to wait long to make their presence felt. Plastun opened the scoring after three minutes, then Kim doubled the advantage fourteen minutes in. Genk II didn't respond, and by the time the half ended, the hosts were already comfortable. The visitors have hit a wall against this level, or perhaps the home side simply raised their game.
Genk II pulled a goal back through Van Genechten in the sixty-second minute, and Nadje added a second for the away side six minutes later. But Epen weren't going to be drawn into a shootout. Vidigal's eighty-third minute finish put the result beyond doubt. To be fair, Genk II had more attacks — seventy-three to sixty-two — but they ran out of ideas when it mattered.
The statistics tell their own story. Epen held fifty-eight percent possession despite fewer attacks, while Genk II's seventy-three attempts and ten corners yielded just two goals. Three yellow cards for the hosts against none for the visitors showed the difference in tempo. The line has barely moved in the table, but the confidence gap was visible.
Epen sit fourth with six points from three games, while Genk II are sixth after four matches. Both sides have two wins and two losses, but the away side carry the burden of a heavier schedule. The draw brought them together early, and the result suggests Epen have found their rhythm. Genk II will need to sharpen up if they want to close the gap.