KRC Genk's U19 team has once again impressed in the UEFA Youth League. After a 3-1 victory in the outward match against CSKA Sofia, our youngsters also managed to win the return in Sofia 1-3. This convincing performance sees Genk advance to the next round of the prestigious youth tournament.
The match got off to a spectacular start when Haroun opened the scoring midway through the first half with a phenomenal distance shot. KRC Genk had played several chances together before that, but it was Haroun who broke the spell. From almost 30 metres, he put the ball unstoppable into the crossbar, which immediately set the tone for the rest of the match.
Even before half-time, Genk managed to double the lead. De Wannemacker rounded off a beautiful attack after a clever combination with Camara. With a 0-2 lead, the teams went to rest, making the second half already seem superfluous.
Yet Genk managed to run even further ahead in the second half. An unfortunate own goal by Evtov after a good move by Alpha Barry made it 0-3. Although the home side pulled one back through a Nikolov penalty, the 1-3 final score was an accurate reflection of the balance of power on the pitch.
In the next round awaits Puskás Akadémia, a formidable opponent from Hungary. The Hungarian team eliminated Aberdeen convincingly (1-5 and 3-0) and is known as a difficult opponent in international tournaments.
Line-up:
Brughmans, Tran, Mbavu, Cauwel (76' Mocsnik), Barry, Wamu, Haroun (46' Bafdili), Camara, De Wannemacker (81' Rahbi), Nzoko (81' Murenzi), Touré (76' Decresson).
