Westerlo Salvages a Point in Dying Moments; Genk Left to Rue Missed Chances in Super League Women Stalemate

On a windswept afternoon at Het Kuipje, two teams searching for early season stability in Belgium’s Super League Women found little of it, sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw that did little to alleviate their respective burdens but offered a late jolt of drama for the hardy souls in attendance. Westerlo W, anchored near the foot of the table, clawed back from a goal down with a spirited late surge, denying Genk W a precious away victory and ensuring both sides’ struggles for momentum endured into mid-October.

The narrative unfolded as a study in frustration and fleeting hope. Genk, coming off a bruising 0-3 defeat to Zulte-Waregem, arrived under pressing circumstances—just one win in their opening four matches, league position slipping, and recent form as brittle as the autumn leaves skittering across the pitch. Westerlo’s plight was even more acute: rooted in eighth place, a single win salvaged from five matches, points a rare currency in their campaign.

The contest began in keeping with the table’s evidence. Both sides, careful rather than cavalier, tested the waters in tentative fashion through a scrappy first half. Westerlo enjoyed brief spells of possession, probing along the flanks, yet chances of substance were scarce; Genk, for their part, looked to pounce on quick transitions, but a lack of composure in the final third stymied any early breakthrough.

After halftime, the game opened with a sudden, decisive flash. In the 50th minute, Genk capitalized on a lapse in Westerlo’s defensive concentration. A sharp incursion down the left flank culminated in a low cross that squeezed through a crowded penalty area, allowing Genk’s forward to tuck a tidy finish past the outstretched goalkeeper. No sooner had Genk’s bench erupted in celebration than a familiar specter loomed: would they preserve their slender margin, or would recent frailties surface once again?

For much of the second half, it appeared Genk would hold on. Their back line repelled Westerlo’s probe-and-hope forays, and the midfield, though rarely dominant, controlled the tempo with such assurance as they could muster. Defensively disciplined, they looked set to claim a vital three points—and leapfrog the mid-table morass in the process.

Yet Westerlo refused to cede. Emboldened by a vocal crowd, they poured forward in the final quarter-hour, urgency replacing earlier caution. The breakthrough arrived in the 85th, almost inevitably, as Genk’s resistance finally buckled. A well-whipped corner led to a frantic scramble six yards from goal, the ball ricocheting off legs and shins before Westerlo’s striker reacted quickest, stabbing home a precious equalizer and sending Het Kuipje into raucous celebration.

The goal changed little for the standings—Westerlo remains eighth with three points from five matches, while Genk edges only slightly higher, now sixth with four points and a solitary win to show for their early autumn labors. For each, this was a chance missed: Genk, with the lead in their grasp, unable to turn performance into position; Westerlo, desperately needing points, left to rue the slow starts and defensive lapses that have characterized their October.

In context, today’s draw was less a renaissance than a reprieve. Westerlo’s last five matches tell a story of struggle—a solitary win over Gent amid an otherwise unrelenting sequence of defeats, including heavy losses at Brugge, Zulte-Waregem, and Standard Liege. Today’s late equalizer was their first point since September, but questions remain about their ability to convert short bursts of energy into sustained results.

Genk, meanwhile, have oscillated unpredictably. Their rare victory over Standard Liege last month signaled potential, but a thumping at Anderlecht and Friday's tepid home loss to Zulte-Waregem have exposed persistent frailties. The squad boasts flashes of creativity, yet end product has too often deserted them—in stark contrast to their more consistent league rivals.

Neither side can afford to linger on hard-earned draws. The Super League Women’s middle table is congested and unforgiving; even marginal improvements, especially in these head-to-head battles, stand to shape the season. Historically, matches between Westerlo and Genk have rarely lacked for drama, but both sides will see today’s stalemate as an opportunity lost rather than a step forward.

Looking ahead, the stakes remain high. Westerlo must discover a more clinical edge if they hope to escape the drop zone, while Genk will be pressed to rediscover the defensive steel and attacking cohesion that eluded them after their opener. As autumn deepens and the matches pile up, neither team can afford to wait much longer for fortune to shift—a truth writ large in today’s nervy, rain-dappled encounter at Het Kuipje.