Dinamo Zagreb suffered a damaging 3-1 defeat to Genk in Thursday night’s Europa League knockout stage playoff first leg in Zagreb, leaving the Croatian giants with a steep uphill battle ahead of the return leg in Belgium on February 26.
Albanian midfielder Arbër Hoxha featured for Dinamo until the 71st minute, but his efforts couldn’t prevent the home side from falling behind.
Genk’s clinical performance was highlighted by a brace from Zakaria El Ouahdi and a decisive strike from Bryan Heynen, while Dion Drena Beljo netted a consolation goal for Dinamo.
The result casts doubt on Dinamo’s chances of advancing to the round of 16, as they now face the challenge of overturning a two-goal deficit away from home.
Thursday’s contest saw Dinamo struggle to break down Genk’s organized defense, with several promising chances going begging in the first half.
Genk, on the other hand, capitalized on their opportunities with precision, demonstrating why they are considered one of the stronger sides in the competition this season.
The second leg promises to be tense, as Dinamo will need a near-perfect performance in Belgium to keep their Europa League campaign alive.
