Genk had the better chances and still came away empty

Mechelen beat Genk 1-0 from a single chance, despite Genk taking far more shots and having the ball more often.

Genk spent most of the afternoon pressing the Mechelen goal, yet it was Mechelen who left the Veoliastadion with the three points. The only goal came in the 22nd minute, when Simion Michez finished a move that M. Decherf had set up. Genk's problem was not a lack of activity, because they had more of the ball, more shots and a larger share of their attempts from close range than their hosts.

The clearest way to see the gap in chances is expected goals, a rough measure of how likely each shot was to go in, judged by where it was taken from. Genk finished the match on 1.58, while Mechelen managed 0.31. Genk's figure sits below the 1.94 they usually reach over a season, so their shots were not as dangerous as usual, even though there were more of them. They took 16, above their own average of 13.1 and the league's 12.8 per side.

Mechelen had a quieter afternoon by their own standards. They kept 44% of the ball, below the 47.4% they average in home matches, and took eight shots against their usual 10.5. Their expected goals of 0.31 was well under the 0.78 they normally generate at home, which makes the goal all the more striking. Michez had three attempts, two of them on target, and his rating of 8.3 was the best of anyone on the pitch.

The man who did the most to keep the score where it was was Ortwin De Wolf in the Mechelen goal. He made five saves and was rated 8.2, while Genk's keeper had to make only two. Genk scored nothing, which is well short of the 1.9 goals they usually score in a match. Mechelen conceded nothing either, a rare clean sheet against their normal 2.1 goals conceded.

Bryan Heynen was Genk's most dangerous outlet, with four shots, two of them on target, and a rating of 7.7. Benjamin Tahirović added two key passes, but neither side's creative work was enough to change the outcome. The visitors kept sending the ball into dangerous areas, yet too many of those efforts were blocked or drifted wide, with only five of their 16 shots on target.

In the table, Genk sit sixth with 15 points from nine matches, while Mechelen were 15th with six from eight before this game. Mechelen had won only once in those eight, so this result changes their season more than Genk's. Had Genk taken their chances, they would have moved further up on the back of a performance that the numbers say they earned.

The win takes Mechelen to nine points from nine matches, and Genk remain on 15 from nine.

Player of the matchSimion Michez1 goal8.3

Ortwin De Wolf5 saves8.2

Matte Smets1 shot on target7.9

Bryan Heynen1 chance created7.7