KRC Genk took the game away from SK Beveren inside the opening 43 minutes, racing into a 3-0 lead before Joris Kayembe Ditu added a fourth in the 74th. Rafiu Durosinmi opened the scoring after nine minutes and Junya Ito doubled the lead ten minutes later. Beveren rarely threatened, registering just one shot on target.
Durosinmi's ninth-minute strike gave Genk the perfect start, and Ito's finish made it 2-0 in the 19th. Josue Ndenge Kongolo scored from Jeppe Erenbjerg's assist five minutes before the break, effectively settling the contest. Yoni Gomis was booked on the half-hour mark, but the card did little to slow Genk's momentum.
The underlying numbers underline Genk's superiority in the key areas: they generated 3.06 expected goals to Beveren's 0.61 and created eight big chances to none. Beveren had slightly more possession (51%) and more total shots (13 to 12), but only one shot on target, while Genk landed seven. It was a case of quality over quantity as the home side scored three of their eight big chances.
