Rapid and Genk well matched again

Two Terrence Boyd goals dug SK Rapid Wien out of a hole against KRC Genk in UEFA Europa League Group G, but the Belgian side struck on the counter to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Boyd turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead just before the interval with two headed goals, yet Zoran Barisic's men were caught napping as they moved in for the kill after the interval. With an hour gone, Thomas Buffel stole in front of his marker to flick past Ján Novota from Fabien Camus' delivery from the left, securing a point that keeps Genk top of the section and on course to reach the round of 32 unbeaten for a second season in succession.

Neither side had created a chance of note when a melee in the Rapid box led to Genk taking the lead. Christopher Trimmel had just blocked Jelle Vossen's header on the line when goalkeeper Novota clattered into Benjamin De Ceulaer. The referee awarded a penalty, and Serigne Mbodji stepped up to steer the ball into the top corner.

Rapid recovered, however. Thanos Petsos' swerving shot drew a fine save from László Köteles, and while Mario Sonnleitner's header from the resulting corner clattered into the post, Boyd nodded in the loose ball. The United States international then sent his side into the interval on a high note, making a firm connection with Trimmel's cross from the left to plant another header past Köteles.

The pressure kept building after the break, Boyd leading the line in his personal quest for a hat-trick, so Genk's equaliser was something of a bolt from the blue. The unmarked Vossen had a chance to seize back the lead for Genk, but Novota scampered out to intervene, and Köteles pushed substitute Brian Behrendt's shot over as Rapid finished strongly.