Streller secures point

A second-half double from captain Marco Streller rescued a point for Basle against Genk in their Europa League Group D match at St. Jakob-Park.

Basle skipper bags a brace to deny Genk

A second-half double from captain Marco Streller rescued a point for Basle against Genk in their Europa League Group D match at St. Jakob-Park. Benjamin De Ceulaer and Jelle Vossen put the visitors two up at the break and they looked set to record their second consecutive group win. However, Streller reduced the deficit after 71 minutes from the spot before equalising with five minutes left as Basle picked up their second draw of the group stage. Genk were ahead after just 10 minutes when De Ceulaer tried to play in the skipper Vossen, and although the striker could not connect with the pass, home stopper Yann Sommer was wrong-footed as the ball trickled into the net.

Capitalise

Basle forced a succession of corners midway through the first period but failed to capitalise, and eight minutes before the break Genk were two up as De Ceulaer's back-heel set up Vossen, whose first time effort from the edge of the area found the net. The home side created the first opportunity seven minutes after the restart when Marcelo Diaz's effort from 20 yards out had to be tipped round the post by Kristof Van Hout. The hosts did reduce the arrears with 19 minutes left from the spot through Streller after Kalidou Koulibaly was adjudged to have fouled Valentin Stocker in the area. And Basle were level with five minutes left as Streller connected with a Fabian Frei corner from the left to head past Van Hout from six yards out.