Genk will face Freiburg in the upcoming knockout round of the Europa League on Thursday night. After successfully overcoming Dynamo Zagreb in the last round, Genk knows they will need to elevate their performance against more formidable opponents. In an interview with the media, head coach Nicky Hayen emphasized the need for his team to raise their game against the Bundesliga side. Hayen remarked, ‘They perform their tasks flawlessly. They’re a tough and irritating team to confront. We’ll need to have a great day, but we’ve proven that we can handle challenges, especially at home.’
Genk will be aiming to secure a lead in the first leg at home before heading across the border to southern Germany for the return match. Freiburg, on the other hand, is also experiencing a rough patch, with only one victory in their last five outings. Their chances of reclaiming a European spot through the Bundesliga appear slim, as there is a considerable gap between Freiburg in eighth place and Bayer Leverkusen in sixth. Nonetheless, they have only suffered one defeat in their twelve home Bundesliga games this season and ended their Europa League group stage in seventh with just one loss in eight matches.
Conversely, Genk has shown inconsistency. They have started to find their rhythm under coach Nicky Hayen, yet they continue to make some of the same errors that have cost them in the past. They can’t afford to repeat those mistakes on Thursday.