By Our Man in Zagreb
BELGIAN brilliance blew the roof off the Stadion Maksimir last night as Genk’s young guns fired a three-goal warning shot across the Europa League.
In a night where the stars aligned for the visitors, Zakaria El Ouahdi emerged as the undisputed leading man, bagging a clinical double to leave Dinamo Zagreb’s knockout hopes hanging by a thread.
The Croatians might have had the home crowd, but Genk had the class. It took just 15 minutes for the visitors to draw first blood. Star midfielder Bryan Heynen showed exactly why he’s the heartbeat of this side, ghosting into the box to meet a pinpoint cross from the precocious Konstantinos Karetsas and powering a header home.
Zagreb looked shell-shocked, and before they could find their feet, they were two down.
El Ouahdi, a constant thorn in the Dinamo flank, found space in the 21st minute to fire a low, left-footed drive into the bottom corner.
The hosts did find a glimmer of hope just before the break. Their own talisman, Dion Drena Beljo, lived up to his billing by pouncing on a loose ball in the 44th minute to make it 2-1.
For a moment, the Maksimir roared, sensing a comeback. But the second half was a masterclass in game management from Nicky Hayen’s men.
While Zagreb huffed and puffed, Genk’s defensive rock Matte Smets put in a “Man of the Mountain” performance, winning every header and snuffing out any hint of danger.
As the clock ticked toward 90, the man of the hour put the game to bed.
El Ouahdi popped up again, latching onto a slick pass from Daan Heymans to smash home his second of the night and Genk’s third. It was clinical. It was ruthless.
And for Dinamo, it was a long night in the cold. Genk head back to Belgium with a two-goal cushion and one foot firmly in the next round.
