Genk advance to leave Videoton with it all to do

KRC Genk completed a Group G double over Videoton FC to confirm their place in the UEFA Europa League round of 32, leaving the Hungarian side needing to win and rely on help from elsewhere on matchday six in order to join them there.

In a spirited encounter, Elyaniv Barda's first-half header was enough to take all three points and end Videoton's ten-match unbeaten European run at home. The hosts pressed throughout, with György Sándor firing wide from close range in each half as they fell just short.

Both teams began industriously without creating clear-cut openings before Genk struck from Julien Gorius's 19th-minute corner, Barda capitalising on some static defending to head beyond goalkeeper Mladen Božović.

Paulo Sousa's side responded well, with Ádám Gyurcsó in the thick of it as they twice threatened an equaliser. First the 21-year-old winger cut inside Dani Fernández and narrowly pulled a shot past Kristof Van Hout's near post; then, on the half-hour mark, his cross was headed centimetres wide by Filipe Oliveira.

All Videoton's five group stage goals had arrived before half-time and five minutes before the break their pressure almost bore fruit. A Nemanja Nikolić centre bobbled across the goalmouth to Sándor, free in space, but his snatched effort flew over. He went close again soon after the restart as the Szekesfehervar-based outfit continued to press.

Genk were always a menace, Božović having to dive at Jelle Vossen's feet 12 minutes from the end to keep his team in it, but they could not rescue a point. Videoton's hopes of becoming the first Hungarian club to make it through the group stage of a UEFA competition now rest on them winning at Sporting Club de Portugal in a fortnight and Genk doing them a favour against FC Basel 1893 in Belgium.