0-3 loss against Dinamo Zagreb

Thu 30 Sep 2021, 21:00

KRC Genk 0 3 Dinamo Zagreb

We all knew it was going to be a very difficult match in the UEFA Europa League. But when things go wrong, you get a first half like tonight. Dinamo captain Ademi managed, with more luck than skill, to initiate a lightning counter, and it was 0-1 early on. Ivanusec was the creator, and all in all perhaps the Croats' best player. The Finnish ref gave yellows to Heynen and Thorstvedt early, very harshly. He was more lenient when there was an incident with an outstretched leg in a duel with Onuachu – in the box, for the record. In fact, we were denied a penalty there and then. It was therefore even more frustrating that Dinamo did get to put the ball on the spot on the stroke of half. Petkovic, 0-2. A tough score for our team, who weren't even playing badly. Some good interplay, even into the penalty area – with the major threat coming from Thorstvedt. On the 15-minute mark, he booted over after a cross from Muñoz, and then curled just past the far post after a pass from an energetic Paintsil. Things got a bit hairy at the other end, with one shot hitting the crossbar. Then in the closing stages of the first half, Ito cut through the centre, but even Paintsil's rebound failed to go in. A minute later, Heynen hit the post on the turn. The score at half-time could easily have been very different. Such a shame.

Just past the hour, disaster struck again. Zagreb put in another cross, Vandevoordt misjudged a high ball and Muñoz's intervention against Orsic was judged harshly by the referee: penalty and a red. And VAR saw no reason to change the decision. As Petkovic scored again, that was the end of the match as a contest: 0-3, just after our coach had brought on two fresh attacking threats in Trésor and Bongonda to force the issue. Eiting and Preciado also came on. A quarter of an hour before full-time, the Dinamo supporters took centre stage by throwing smoke bombs.

There wasn’t much football after that. Though Ugbo and Heynen still had chances. It finished 0-3, which was really tough for our team. West Ham, our next opponent, beat Rapid Vienna and went top of the group with six points out of six

Line-Up

Vandevoordt, Muñoz, Cuesta, Lucumí, Arteaga, Heynen, Toma (70' Eiting), Thorstvedt (64' Trésor), Ito (70' Preciado), Onuachu (77' Ugbo), Paintsil (64' Bongonda).

Goals

10’      0-1  Ivanusec
45+3’ 0-2  Petkovic  (pen)
67'      0-3  Petkovic (pen)

Red

66' Muñoz