Club Brugge settled Friday’s reunion with recently sacked Nicky Hayen in spectacular fashion in their favour. RC Genk looked set to battle their way to a late equaliser, but Aleksandar Stankovic had other ideas, firing a shot into the top corner.
Genk and Club Brugge served up one of the most chaotic and compelling games of the Belgian season so far, with the visitors ultimately winning 3-5 in a night defined by goals, momentum swings, and a storyline that was impossible to ignore.
The reunion with Nicky Hayen, recently dismissed by Club Brugge and now in charge of Genk after the departure of Thorsten Fink, added an extra layer of tension to a fixture that was already high-stakes. In the end, it was Club Brugge who left with the points, thanks to ruthless finishing at key moments and a decisive late intervention from Aleksandar Stankovic.
The build-up was unusually charged. Hayen had been pushed aside at Club Brugge to make room for Ivan Leko, a move that drew attention not only because of the timing, but also because of how abruptly it happened. Genk moved quickly to appoint him, and Friday’s match immediately became a measuring stick: how would his new team respond under pressure, and how would Club Brugge handle a fixture that doubled as an emotional reckoning?
From the opening phase, Club Brugge looked sharper and more coherent in their attacking patterns. With Carlos Forbs included in the starting line-up, they carried pace and intent in wide areas, and they were willing to commit numbers early, forcing Genk to defend set pieces and second balls before they could settle into any rhythm. That approach paid off after 13 minutes. A corner dropped into a dangerous area and Hugo Vetlesen attacked it well, powering a header home for 0-1. It was the sort of goal that immediately changes a game plan, especially for a home side trying to build confidence under a new coach.
Genk barely had time to reset before Club Brugge struck again. Nine minutes later, Christos Tzolis made it two assists in quick succession, providing the delivery that Romeo Vermant converted for 0-2. At that point, the match threatened to run away from Genk. Their defensive spacing looked stretched, and Brugge’s movement around the box suggested they could create chances almost at will.
Credit to Genk, they responded quickly, and that response mattered because it prevented the contest from becoming a procession. Yira Sor pulled one back for 1-2, restoring belief and shifting the atmosphere inside the stadium. The goal gave Genk a platform to compete again, and for a brief spell they looked capable of turning the match into a controlled, physical battle rather than an open shootout.
But the first half’s defining theme was Genk’s inability to protect themselves after positive moments. Instead of building on Sor’s goal and stabilising to half-time, they conceded again before the break. Poor defending and a failure to clear their lines properly created an opening, and Hans Vanaken punished it to make it 1-3. In a match already moving at high speed, that goal felt like a psychological blow as much as a tactical one, because it restored Club Brugge’s margin and rewarded them for continuing to press even when Genk had threatened to swing momentum.
The second half changed the tone again. Genk came out with greater urgency, more intensity in duels, and a willingness to push their full-backs and wide players higher. That approach produced an early breakthrough after the restart, with Daan Heymans scoring to reduce the deficit to 2-3. With the margin back to one goal, Genk could sense that Club Brugge were not fully comfortable defending deep for long periods, and the game became increasingly stretched.
This was the phase where Hayen’s presence on the bench became more relevant. Genk played with visible conviction, pressing higher and committing bodies forward. The risk, of course, was that any turnover could expose them, but with the match slipping away they had little choice. The crowd responded, and Genk’s pressure began to force Club Brugge into rushed clearances and deeper defensive positions.
The equaliser arrived a quarter of an hour from time, and it felt earned based on the second-half pattern. Junya Ito made it 3-3, completing a comeback that had twice looked unlikely: first from 0-2 down, then again after trailing 1-3 at half-time. At that moment, the balance of the match appeared to have shifted fully towards Genk. They had the emotional surge, the home energy, and the sense that the visitors were being dragged into a game they no longer controlled.
Then came the moment that decided everything. Aleksandar Stankovic produced the standout strike of the match, a curling effort into the top corner that made it 3-4 and instantly flipped the narrative again. Beyond the quality of the finish, the timing was devastating for Genk. They had invested so much energy into getting back level, and just as they began to dream of completing the turnaround, they were forced to chase once more.
From that point, the game opened up even further. Genk pushed numbers forward in search of another equaliser, but that inevitably left space behind their midfield line and in wide transitions. Club Brugge, who had already shown clinical edge in the first half, exploited those spaces late on. In extra time, substitute Cisse Sandra added the fifth goal to seal the 3-5 scoreline, ensuring there would be no final twist.
For Genk, the defeat carried familiar frustration. With Hayen on the bench, the first league win since 30 November remained out of reach, despite a spirited comeback and a period where they looked capable of taking control. The attacking response, particularly after the break, will be encouraging, but conceding five goals at home highlights structural issues that cannot be ignored. In matches like this, the difference is often not creativity, but game management: clearing lines cleanly, defending set pieces with discipline, and recognising moments when a team must slow the tempo rather than feed the chaos.
For Club Brugge, it was a statement win under pressure, not only because of the opponent and the setting, but because of the emotional context around Hayen. They left with three points, moved top of the table for now, and did so with a mix of set-piece efficiency, wide creativity through Tzolis, and decisive finishing in the biggest moments. Union Saint-Gilloise still have a match to play, but Club Brugge have ensured the pressure is firmly applied at the top.
Updated: 04:38, 26 Dec 2025
