For both teams it was simple. Both did need a win and the corresponding 3 points. Cercle did need them to close the gap with Waasland-Beveren to avoid relegation. Genk did need the 3 points to keep their PO I dreams alive.

It was the fifth game under coach Wolf for Genk. None of the 4 previous ones was won! A coach switch during the season can bring some extra motivations to the player, but also time is needed so that the coach can teach the players his was of playing football. With each 3 or 4 days a game for Genk, this isn’t easy for Wolf, who want to play dominant and direct football!

Cercle on the other side, isn’t the typical last one in the competition team! Normally the teams at the bottom try to focus on defending and hope to score on a counter! But Cercle, since their new coach, try to play actual football with lots of offensive intentions!

So an open game was expected! But this was the worst game of Genk this season so far! They seems uninspired when in possession, didn’t find any solutions and they winders had to chase the wingers of Cercle more than the other way around! Wolf again did change his tactics. This time, it was more a 4-4-2 on paper. Which is actually a 2-4-2-2 in possession and a real 4-4-2 when the opponent did have the ball!

The problem was that target man Onuachu needs time to control the ball, pass it on and run into the box to wait on the center! But the winger weren’t keeping the play wide! They came too much into the center of the field. This way Onuachu could ran as much as he could into the penalty box, but no crosses would arrive because the wingers weren’t playing a wingers!

Luckily Genk came ahead pretty early in the first half, but this was due to the fact that Ito wasn’t staying at his wing!

After the goal Cercle was the better team and deservedly equalized in the 65the minute of the game! Vandervoordt was chanceless was the shot of Somers was deflected by DeWaest. Strange that most goals Genk gets against do start a the right side of the pitch! So it is time that Uronen will be back!

The winning goal of Genk was also more or less a lucky one. Bergen received a badly cleared cross and did find the next from just inside the penalty box!

Well the points are all that matter and suddenly Genk is only 3 points away from a PO I spot. I do feel pity for Cercle. More than once this season they were the better team, but each time to stay behind empty handed! I really hope that they can avoid relegation!

With home games against Eupen and Waasland-Beveren and an away game at Anderlecht, at least 6 points may be expected! These 6 points could push them back into the top6! Then the winter break can be used by Wolf, to create a real wolf pack! We do expect more games in which the goalie of Genk isn’t the man of the match!

Cheers,

Peter