KRC Genk secured a 2-1 victory over Malmö FF at the Cegeka Arena, but the result was not enough to earn them automatic progression as they were forced to settle for a spot in the UEFA Europa League play-off round.
The win brought an end to a difficult run for De Smurfen, who had claimed just one victory in their previous nine matches across all competitions (D3, L5).
However, Genk narrowly missed out on a top-eight finish on goal difference. For Malmö, the defeat confirmed a miserable European campaign, with the Swedish side exiting the competition with just one point from eight games.
Already eliminated before kick-off, Malmö were playing purely for pride and made a bright start. They stunned the hosts inside four minutes when Taha Ali danced past multiple Genk defenders before unleashing a shot that deflected heavily and wrong-footed Tobias Lawal.
Genk responded positively and dominated large spells of the first half, coming agonisingly close to an equaliser midway through the period.
Hyun-Gyu Oh first dragged a shot narrowly wide before seeing his header from a corner crash against the crossbar moments later.
Pressure continued to mount, and the hosts were rewarded on the stroke of half-time when Melker Ellborg brought down Matte Smets inside the area. Daan Heymans calmly converted the resulting penalty, guiding his effort into the bottom corner to restore parity.
The Belgian side carried their momentum into the second half and controlled possession, though Malmö carved out the clearest chance before the hour mark.
Di Blae launched a swift counter-attack, releasing Anders Christiansen on the edge of the box, but Lawal produced a fine save to tip his curling effort away from the top corner.
Ellborg was called upon again with just over 20 minutes remaining, reacting sharply to deny Konstantinos Karetsas from a narrow angle.
Genk eventually made their dominance count in the 82nd minute, as Karetsas delivered the decisive moment by firing a superb strike from the edge of the penalty area into the roof of the net.
The final whistle confirmed a deserved three points for Genk, though their Europa League journey continues via the play-offs rather than automatic qualification.
Malmö, meanwhile, bow out in disappointment, finishing 35th in the league phase and ending the campaign as one of only three teams without a single win.
