Stuttgart slam the brakes on Genk

VfB Stuttgart set up a UEFA Europa League round of 16 meeting with S.S. Lazio, after Arthur Boka's deflected piledriver and a Christian Gentner strike proved to be the undoing of KRC Genk.

The Belgian side had snatched a 1-1 draw in the final seconds of the first leg in Germany, but the tide turned against them just before half-time when Boka's thunderous low drive from outside the box deflected off Anele Ngongca and past László Köteles. Stuttgart were in the ascendant after the break, with Gentner finding space in the box to kill off this last-32 tie on 59 minutes.

Despite cold weather and a hard pitch, the first half was a lively affair. Kalidou Koulibaly cleared off the line after Shinji Okazaki's half-volley eluded Köteles, then Martin Harnik shot narrowly over Genk's bar after fine work on the right by Vedad Ibišević. Genk should have opened the scoring seconds later, however, but Benjamin De Ceulaer mistimed a free header.

Boka then returned a clearance from Gotoku Sakai's corner with interest to put the Bundesliga team in front, and not long after the interval Ibišević blasted over from ten metres after good build-up play down the right. A second Stuttgart goal was on the cards, and Gentner provided it, turning inside the area before firing in left-footed to finish off a move that began deep in Stuttgart's half.

Ibrahima Traoré might have made it 3-0 yet shot wide when clean through as Genk's proud record of ten UEFA home games unbeaten drew to a close. Lazio, meanwhile, await Stuttgart in the next round having claimed the scalp of another Bundesliga outfit VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach this evening.