DENDERLEEUW, Belgium (Interstat) — Dender and Genk U23 played to a 1-1 draw in their competition match, with the home side unable to turn its late pressure into a winning goal. Dender was the home team, and Genk U23 was the visiting side. The teams traded goals and collected a combined five yellow cards, while six substitutions interrupted the second half. Neither side found a decisive answer after the interval, and the match ended level. Dender pressed in the closing stages, but Genk U23 held on for a share of the result. The draw left both teams with a share of the points.

Genk U23’s August De Wannemacker scored his side’s goal and played the full match. Dender’s Adam Nhaili scored in the 55th minute. Gerard Vandeplas assisted on Nhaili’s goal and also was booked during a full match for Dender. De Wannemacker’s goal gave Genk U23 a response, and Nhaili’s finish kept Dender on level terms after the hosts had threatened. Vandeplas’ assist was one of Dender’s attacking contributions in a match that became increasingly scrappy. De Wannemacker and Nhaili each recorded a goal while Vandeplas recorded an assist and a yellow card.

Dender’s M. Viltard was booked in the seventh minute, and Gerard Vandeplas followed in the 38th. Genk U23’s D. Nzoko was cautioned in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Dender’s B. De Kerf was booked in the 85th minute, and Genk U23’s J. Driessen was cautioned in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. The first half included two Dender bookings and one for Genk U23, while the late second half brought two more cautions. The match remained level after the cards and substitutions, with neither side able to add a second goal. The five yellow cards were split with three for Dender and two for Genk U23.

Genk U23 made the first substitution in the 64th minute with Y. Medina. Dender then brought on K. Koton in the 80th minute, B. De Kerf in the 88th and Gerard Vandeplas in the 90th. Genk U23 used K. Achahbar in second-half stoppage time and D. Nzoko shortly after. The changes did not produce a late winner, though Dender continued to push for a second goal. Dender made three changes after the 80th minute as it sought a winning goal. Genk U23 made its final two changes in stoppage time as the match moved into its closing moments. Dender’s late changes included Koton, De Kerf and Vandeplas, while Genk U23’s late changes included Achahbar and Nzoko as both teams used their benches.

The draw moved Genk U23 to 0-1-2 in the competition and 0-1-2 across all competitions. Dender is now 1-0-2 in the competition and 2-1-2 overall. Genk U23 remains without a win in the competition this season, while Dender has one competition victory and two draws. Genk U23 had previously drawn with Club Brugge KV U23 and lost at Patro Eisden in competition play. Dender had previously drawn at Francs Borains, lost at St. Liege, beaten Club Brugge KV U23 at home and won at Hoogstraten. Both sides added a point to their competition totals, but neither could claim the result as a breakthrough. The draw was Dender’s second consecutive competition draw while Genk U23 also settled for a draw after its previous competition result.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Dender 1, Genk U23 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Dender with an 81.8 percent probability to win. Dender had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 2 went over the over-under line of 3.5.