Royal Antwerp FC and KRC Genk played out an unforgettable 4-4 draw on Saturday in matchday three of the Jupiler Pro League. The match at the Bosuilstadion, officiated by referee Jasper Vergoote with VAR Erik Lambrechts, produced eight goals in a rollercoaster encounter.
Antwerp entered the day sitting fourth in the table with seven points from three games. Thibo Somers's team has started the season with a goal difference of plus four (nine scored, five conceded) and trails leaders Club Brugge by just two points. Top scorer Michael Frey has already netted four times in three appearances.
The home side started strongly and built a commanding lead. At one point, the score was 4-1 in Antwerp's favour. Genk, with a squad value of 216.9 million euros compared to Antwerp's 59.2 million, refused to give up. The Limburgers fought their way back and managed to erase the deficit completely. The 4-4 final score was a fair reflection of the spectacle served to the fans.
Heading into this clash, Antwerp came off a 0-3 away win at KV Kortrijk and was unbeaten in the league with two wins and a draw. The team was on a scoring run of four league matches. Genk had a more mixed start with one win, one draw, and one loss, but could have a scoring streak of five consecutive Pro League games. In all competitions, both sides were on a three-match scoring run.
The last meeting between these two clubs, in April, also ended in a draw (0-0). The history of the last five fixtures is balanced. Antwerp has two wins, Genk has one, and points were shared twice. The home side won 3-0 in a previous encounter, but also lost 1-2 at the Bosuilstadion. The full series of head-to-head results can be found on our stats page.
Manager Thibo Somers, who also captained the side on the pitch, opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Goalkeeper T. Nozawa was protected by a defense of R. Van Helden, Y. Tsunashima, Eran Tuypens, and X. Dierckx. Jules Ahoka and Anthony Valencia played in midfield, while I. Salah, M. Fofana, and Michael Frey handled the attacking duties. The complete squad is always available via our squad overview.
The point keeps Antwerp firmly in the upper regions of the standings. The team must now quickly shift focus to the next task: a home match against STVV on August 30th. Sint-Truiden currently sits twelfth. With top scorer Michael Frey in form, Antwerp will be looking for three points to continue their push at the top and close the gap to Club Brugge.
