In-form Genk and Malmö accommodate on matchday one of a UEFA Europa League carrying both come by a array of subordinate fixtures undefeated. Furthermore, while a Belgian side have scored 12 goals in their 3 European home matches this term, their Swedish visitors are nonetheless to concur in 4 away.
Previous meetings
• This is a initial assembly of a dual clubs and Genk’s initial in UEFA foe opposite opponents from Sweden.
• Malmö have no wins in 4 games opposite Belgian antithesis (D2 L2), and mislaid both of their European Champions’ Cup ties to Anderlecht (1987/88) and Mechelen (1989/90).
Form guide
Genk
• Fourth in a Belgian First Division A final tenure and also runners-up in a domestic cup, Genk’s European esteem was a UEFA Europa League second subordinate turn berth. They sailed by their opening tie opposite Luxembourg’s Fola Esch, 9-1 on total (5-0 home, 4-1 away), before also winning both legs opposite Lech PoznaÅ„ and Brøndby to make it 6 wins out of 6 with 22 goals scored.
• Genk have a ideal subordinate record from a UEFA Europa League organisation stage, carrying progressed to a knockout proviso on any of their prior 3 participations, in 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2016/17. They reached a quarter-finals of a latter campaign, defeating associate Belgian bar Gent in a turn of 16.
• Genk’s 3 home wins this tenure have stretched their dominant run in Europe on Belgian dirt to 13 matches (including a 5-2 win during Gent), winning 11 of those fixtures.
Malmö
• Swedish champions for a record 20th time in 2017, Malmö began this season’s European debate in a UEFA Champions League initial subordinate round. Their bid to strech a organisation theatre of that foe for a third time in 5 years was halted on a divided goals order by Hungarian champions Vidi in a third subordinate turn though they cumulative an autumn of European appearance – as Sweden’s solitary deputy – by winning a Scandinavian derby opposite Danish pretension holders Midtjylland in a UEFA Europa League play-offs. Their 8 subordinate matches brought 4 wins and 4 draws.
• Malmö’s usually prior UEFA Europa League organisation theatre impasse was in 2011/12, when they got off to a bad start with a 4-1 better during Dutch bar AZ Alkmaar and never recovered, finishing bottom of a territory with only one point. The bar have played 9 divided games in European organisation stages and mislaid a lot, surrender 34 goals in a process.
• Having mislaid all of their prior 6 European divided fixtures, and 11 of a prior 12, Malmö have posted 3 wins and a pull on a highway this tenure and have nonetheless to concur to their hosts.
Links and trivia
• Genk’s Jere Uronen played in Sweden for Helsingborg from 2012 to 2015 while his team-mate Joseph Aidoo was a Hammarby actor from summer 2015 to summer 2017.
• Malmö’s Behrang Safari (Anderlecht), Carlos Strandberg (Club Brugge, Westerlo), Guillermo Molins (Anderlecht), Anders Christiansen (Gent) and Lasse Nielsen (Gent) have all played in Belgium.
The coaches
• A former Belgian general who represented his nation during a 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 and won 38 caps, Philippe Clement was a defensive midfielder and centre-back who spent many of his career with Club Brugge, completing a decade during a bar following a brief spell in England with Coventry. He had done his Belgian top-flight entrance with Genk, and it was to a Limburg bar that he returned in Dec 2017 to turn conduct manager following a six-month army during Waasland-Beveren.
• Born in a former East Germany, Uwe Rösler left his homeland in 1994 to play adult front for Manchester City, that he did for 4 years, so combining a bond with English football that has brought him behind to a nation to conduct 4 opposite lower-league clubs. His coaching career began in Norway, with Lillestrøm, his final bar as a player, and in Jun 2018 he returned to Scandinavia to turn a new conduct manager of reigning Swedish champions Malmö.