Genk is a small city in eastern Belgium and home to one of the country’s top clubs. KRC Genk have won the Belgian league title four times, most recently in 2019, and have lifted the Belgian Cup on five occasions, most recently in 2021. This season, the club currently sit seventh in the Jupiler Pro League, the top tier of Belgian football.

After the league phase, KRC Genk, whose coach Nicky Hayen took over in December last year, came through a play-off against Dinamo Zagreb. After a 3-1 first-leg win in Zagreb, it was a nervy return fixture for the Belgians. Zagreb led 3-1 after 90 minutes, but the Belgians came through in extra time, scoring twice to book their place in the round of 16.

SC Freiburg will play the away leg at the Cegeka Arena on 12th March, with the return leg in the last 16 then taking place at the Europa-Park Stadion on 19th March.

The rest of the route through the competition, all the way to the final in Istanbul on 20th May, has already been mapped out ahead of the round of 16. In the quarter-finals, SC would face the winners of the tie between Celta Vigo and Lyon.