Racing Genk secured a crucial advantage in their Europa League Round of 16 tie with a 1-0 victory over SC Freiburg on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The match, played at the Cegeka Arena in Genk, Belgium, saw Zakaria El Ouahdi score the decisive goal in the 24th minute.
El Ouahdi’s stunning volley, following a well-worked one-two with Bryan Heynen, gave Genk the lead and ignited the home crowd. The goal marked El Ouahdi’s ninth of the season, with five coming in Europa League play. OneFootball reports that the goal gives Genk a slight edge heading into the second leg.
Despite a positive start from Freiburg, which included a goal disallowed after a VAR review, Genk controlled much of the game after taking the lead. Konstantinos Karetsas came close to doubling the advantage, but his effort narrowly missed the target.
Freiburg pushed for an equalizer, with Yuito Suzuki hitting the woodwork with a deflected volley. Genk goalkeeper Tobias Lawal also made key saves, including denying Igor Matanovic in the 90th minute. ESPN’s live coverage detailed a tense finish to the match.
The statistics reflected Genk’s dominance, with 49.5% possession, 3 shots on goal from 5 attempts, and 5 corner kicks. Freiburg managed 50.5% possession, 2 shots on goal from 17 attempts, and 7 corner kicks. Lawal made 2 saves for Genk, while Freiburg’s goalkeeper made 1 save.
Genk’s lineup included Lawal, Smets, Ndenge, Sadick, Bangoura, Kayembe, Medina, El Ouahdi, Heymans, Heynen, and Adedeji-Sternberg. Freiburg fielded Bibout, Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart, Eggestein, Höfler, Röhl, Manzambi, Grifo, Doan, and Müller.
The second leg of the tie will determine which team advances to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. This result sets the stage for a compelling return match as both teams vie for a spot in the next round.
