Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare opened his account for the season, but his strike proved insufficient as Genk suffered a 2-1 defeat to Standard Liege in Sunday’s Belgian Pro League clash at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Bold Sports reports.
Goals from Thomas Henry and Marlon Fossey put the home side firmly in control within the first 60 minutes. Arokodare halved the deficit in the 70th minute, but Genk could not find a way back, slipping to their second defeat of the campaign.
Genk boss Thorsten Fink named an unchanged XI from the side that drew 1-1 with Royal Antwerp in their previous league game, with South Korean striker Hyun-Gyu Oh preferred to Arokodare in the starting lineup for the third successive league fixture.
While the visitors dominated most of the first half, Standard Liege broke the deadlock in the 37th minute when Matte Smets conceded a penalty for a foul inside the area. Thomas Henry then stepped up and coolly converted from the spot to hand the hosts a first-half lead.
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Shortly after the restart, right back Marlon Fossey extended his team’s advantage with a precise finish, leaving Genk with a mountain to climb.
Arokodare entered the fray in the 67th minute and made an immediate impact, linking up well with Hyun-Gyu Oh before smashing a volley past goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo to give the visitors hope.
Despite the Nigerian striker’s effort, Genk could not muster an equaliser, with Standard holding firm to claim all three points and maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The victory lifts Standard Liege to third place on seven points, while Genk drop to 14th, still searching for their first win after three matches.
Standard will look to keep their strong form going when they face reigning champions Union St. Gilloise on Saturday, August 16, while Genk aim to turn their fortunes around in a trip to OH Leuven on Friday, August 15.
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