KAA Gent maintained their unbeaten start to the Jupiler Pro League season with a 1-1 draw away at KRC Genk. The result ended their perfect points tally but leaves them second in the table with sixteen points from six matches.
Midfielder Tibe De Vlieger spoke after the match at the Cegeka Arena. He identified a major difference from the inconsistent performances of the previous campaign. "The defensive stability, everyone agrees on that," said De Vlieger. "They did score from a corner now, but apart from that we didn't give away any big chances."
Strong opening
Gent were clearly the better side in the opening phase and Genk struggled to get a foothold. Momodou Sonko opened the scoring after twenty minutes following an assist from Tiago Araújo. The team could not sustain that early dominance, however. Two minutes after the break, Rafiu Durosinmi headed in the equaliser from a Junya Ito cross.
De Vlieger did not see the dropped points as a disaster. He praised the opponent's quality and said not many teams will win at Genk. The midfielder did see room for improvement. "That was enjoyable football, it was working well. The combinations were good," he explained. "The next step is simply to maintain that level for longer."
Context
Gent's last official defeat dates back to the end of May, in the final match of the Champions' Play-Offs against Club Brugge. Since then, the team has remained unbeaten in all competitions. With eleven goals scored and only three conceded, Gent have the second-best defence in the league. The full standings show how the Buffaloes are breathing down the neck of the leaders.
The next task is the home match against Standard Liege on Friday night. Standard currently sit sixth and were beaten 4-0 in the last meeting in January. The lineup and latest stats are available on the club page. The match against Standard is the final fixture before the international break, after which Gent will aim to extend their unbeaten run.
