SC Freiburg has made history by reaching their first-ever major European quarter-final, overcoming KRC Genk with a stunning 5-1 victory in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 clash.
In a thrilling contest that turned the tide of the tie, Freiburg wasted no time in seizing control after a quiet start. The action ignited just 19 minutes in, when Matthias Ginter nodded in a brilliant free-kick from Vincenzo Grifo, leveling the aggregate score at 1-1.
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Genk nearly responded instantly, as Joris Kayembe set up Aaron Bibout with a superb cross, but Freiburg’s goalkeeper Noah Atubolu made an impressive save to maintain the hosts’ lead.
That moment proved pivotal as Freiburg took the aggregate lead before the half-hour mark, courtesy of another Ginter assist. After a lucky deflection presented the ball to him inside the box, Igor Matanovic bundled it home, putting Freiburg ahead 2-1 on aggregate.
Despite the setback, Genk regained their composure and equalized near the end of the first half. A shot from Konstantinos Karetsas hit the post and rebounded to Smets, who made no mistake in firing it past Atubolu, sending the teams into the break tied 2-2 on aggregate.
With the momentum appearing to lean towards Genk during halftime, Freiburg dramatically shifted the balance after the break. In a blunder by Genk’s Smets, an errant pass allowed Grifo to swoop in and score his 106th goal for Freiburg, thus becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer.
Just four minutes later, Yuito Suzuki completed a devastating counter-attack by finishing off a play initiated by Johan Manzambi, extending Freiburg’s lead and pushing the aggregate score to 4-2.
With Genk struggling to mount a comeback, Freiburg sealed their emphatic victory in the 79th minute when Maximilian Eggestein fired home from distance, putting the final score at 5-2 on aggregate.
This high-scoring performance came as a surprise, considering Freiburg had struggled offensively in recent matches. Nonetheless, they are now poised for a quarter-final match against Celta Vigo.
On the other hand, Genk’s disappointing defeat means they miss out on their first quarter-final appearance since the 2016/17 season, extending their winless streak against German teams on their home turf to five matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg)
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