View source for 2021 Belgian Cup final

{{Infobox football match
|              title = 2021 Belgian Cup final
|              image =
|              event = [[2020–21 Belgian Cup]]
|              team1 = [[Standard Liège]]
|         team1score = 1
|              team2 = [[K.R.C. Genk|Genk]]
|         team2score = 2
|            details = 25 April 2021
|            stadium = [[King Baudouin Stadium]]
|               city = [[Brussels]]
| man_of_the_match1a = 
|            referee = [[Bram Van Driessche]]
|         attendance = 0{{refn|group=note|name=Behind closed doors Final}}
|            weather = 
|           previous = [[2020 Belgian Cup final|2020]]
|               next = [[2022 Belgian Cup final|2022]]
}}
The '''2021 Belgian Cup final''', named Croky Cup after the sponsor, was the 66th [[Belgian Cup]] final. On 13 March 2021, [[Standard Liège]] qualified for their 18th final, losing 9 and winning 8. [[K.R.C. Genk|Genk]] qualified one day later, reaching their sixth final, winning all but one, namely their latest appearance when they lost the [[2018 Belgian Cup Final]] to Standard Liège. It took place on 25 April 2021 and was won by Genk.

==Route to the final==
{{see also|2020–21 Belgian Cup}}
{| width="100%" style="text-align:center"
|-  style="vertical-align:top; background:#9cf;"
!colspan=4 style="width:1*"|Standard Liège
!
!colspan=4 style="width:1*"|Genk
|-  style="vertical-align:top; background:#c1e0ff;"
|Opponent
|Result
|Legs
|Scorers
| style="background:#c1e0ff;"|Round
|Opponent
|Result
|Legs
|Scorers
|-
|[[Royal Football Club Seraing|Seraing]] ([[2020–21 Belgian First Division B|II]])
|4–1
|4–1 away
|[[Merveille Bokadi|Bokadi]], [[Laurent Jans|Jans]], [[Klauss (footballer)|Klauss]], [[Jackson Muleka|Muleka]]
| style="background:#c1e0ff;"|[[2020–21 Belgian Cup#Round 6|Sixth round]]
|[[K.V.V. Thes Sport Tessenderlo|Tessenderlo]] ([[2020–21 Belgian National Division 1|III]])
|5–0 FF <ref name=rupelboomtessenderloff>{{Cite web|title=Ook geen bekerwedstrijden voor amateurclubs Rupel Boom en Thes|trans-title=No cup matches for amateur clubs Rupel Boom and Thes as well|url=https://sporza.be/nl/2021/01/19/ook-geen-bekerwedstrijden-voor-amateurclubs-rupel-boom-en-thes~1611051235538/ |work=sporza.be |date=19 January 2021}}</ref>
|5–0 FF away
|
|-
|[[K.V. Kortrijk|Kortrijk]] ([[2020–21 Belgian First Division A|I]])
|1–1
|1–1 away {{aet}} (6–5 [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|p]])
|[[Konstantinos Laifis|Laifis]]
| style="background:#c1e0ff;"|[[2020–21 Belgian Cup#Round 7|Seventh round]]
|[[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]] ([[2020–21 Belgian First Division A|I]])
|1–0
|1–0 home
|[[Paul Onuachu|Onuachu]]
|-
|[[Club Brugge KV|Club Brugge]] ([[2020–21 Belgian First Division A|I]])
|1–0
|1–0 home
|[[Jackson Muleka|Muleka]]
| style="background:#c1e0ff;"|[[2020–21 Belgian Cup#Quarterfinals|Quarter-finals]]
|[[K.V. Mechelen|Mechelen]] ([[2020–21 Belgian First Division A|I]])
|4–1
|4–1 home
|[[Kristian Thorstvedt|Thorstvedt]] (2), [[Daniel Muñoz (footballer)|Muñoz]], [[Théo Bongonda|Bongonda]]
|-
|[[K.A.S. Eupen|Eupen]] ([[2020–21 Belgian First Division A|I]])
|1–0
|1–0 away
|[[Selim Amallah|Amallah]]
| style="background:#c1e0ff;"|[[2020–21 Belgian Cup#Semifinals|Semi-finals]]
|[[R.S.C. Anderlecht|Anderlecht]] ([[2020–21 Belgian First Division A|I]])
|2–1
|2–1 away
|[[Paul Onuachu|Onuachu]], [[Matt Miazga|Miazga]] {{og}}
|}


==Match==
===Summary===
In an empty King Baudouin Stadium, both teams started the match eagerly. Genk came close to an early goal, with a shot by [[Kristian Thorstvedt]] hitting the post and a first serious warning for Standard Liège. Standard Liège, who had been relying on their fighting spirit throughout the season, lacked sharpness and creativity in the final third of the pitch. At the back, however, they did manage to keep control of the ball and kept Genk at bay after the initial challenge by Thorstvedt. During the 1st half, [[Théo Bongonda]] and poacher [[Paul Onuachu]] were firmly in the defense's grip.

At the start of the second half, the game split open, when [[Hugo Siquet]] lost the ball, Genk immediately sent it to [[Junya Itō (footballer, born 1993)|Junya Itō]], who left [[Arnaud Bodart]] without a chance with a crossed shot. The goal gave Genk confidence and the [[Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg]] team gradually took more and more control of the match. Although Genk was the better team, they still had to watch their backs. The Genk defense had a hard time dealing with the excellent substitute [[Jackson Muleka]], who had the equalizer at his feet, but his shot was a miss. As the game progressed, Standard was forced to take more risks, allowing more space for Genk. Ten minutes before the end of the game, Bongonda took advantage of this to slide in the 0-2. Muleka immediately brought the excitement back with a strong header, but Genk survived the final offensive, winning their 5th Belgian Cup and being assured of European football for the coming season.

===Details===
<onlyinclude>{{Football box
| date         = 25 April 2021
| time         = 20:45 [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| team1        = [[Standard Liège]]
| team2        = [[K.R.C. Genk|Genk]]
| score        = 1–2
| aet          = 
| report       = [https://sporza.be/nl/matches/voetbal/croky-cup/2020-2021/finale/01/standard-krc-genk-live-invaller-muleka-maakt-de-bekerfinale-toch-nog-opnieuw-spannend~1602577261301/ Report]
| goals1       = 
*[[Jackson Muleka|Muleka]] {{goal|83}}
| goals2       = 
*[[Junya Itō (footballer, born 1993)|Itō]] {{goal|48}}
*[[Théo Bongonda|Bongonda]] {{goal|80}}
| stadium      = [[King Baudouin Stadium]], [[Brussels]]
| attendance   = 0{{refn|group=note|name=Behind closed doors Final|The final was played [[Behind closed doors (sport)|behind closed doors]] due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium]].}}
| referee      = [[Bram Van Driessche]]
}}</onlyinclude>

{| width=92%
|-
|{{Football kit
| pattern_la = _standard2021h
| pattern_b = _standard2021h
| pattern_ra = _standard2021h
| pattern_sh = 
| pattern_so = _rsliege2021h
| leftarm = FF0000
| body = FF0000
| rightarm = FF0000
| shorts = FFFFFF
| socks = FF0000
| title = {{nowrap|Standard Liège}}
}}
|{{Football kit
| pattern_la = _waterford17h
| pattern_b = _peterborough1819h
| pattern_ra = _waterford17h
| pattern_sh = 
| pattern_so = 
| leftarm = 0000FF
| body = 0000FF
| rightarm = 0000FF
| shorts = 0000FF
| socks = 0000FF
| title = Genk
}}
|}

{| width="100%"
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-
!width="25"| !!width="25"|
|-
|GK ||'''16''' ||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Arnaud Bodart]]
|-
|RB ||'''41''' ||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Hugo Siquet]]
|-
|CB ||'''5'''||{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Moussa Sissako]] || {{sent off|0|90+2}}
|-
|CB ||'''34'''||{{flagicon|CYP}} [[Konstantinos Laifis]]
|-
|LB ||'''24'''||{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nicolas Gavory]] || {{yel|63}}
|-
|MF ||'''19'''||{{flagicon|MAR}} [[Selim Amallah]] || {{yel|87}}
|-
|MF ||'''28'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Samuel Bastien]] || || {{suboff|75}} 
|-
|MF ||'''8'''||{{flagicon|BIH}} [[Gojko Cimirot]] || || {{suboff|66}} 
|-
|MF ||'''26'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Nicolas Raskin]] || {{yel|71}}
|-
|CF ||'''14'''||{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Klauss (footballer)|Klauss]]
|-
|MF ||'''32'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Michel-Ange Balikwisha]] || || {{suboff|57}}
|-
|colspan=4|'''Substitutes:'''
|-
|MF ||'''10'''||{{flagicon|MAR}} [[Mehdi Carcela]]  || {{yel|81}} || {{subon|66}} 
|-
|FW ||'''17'''||{{flagicon|DRC}} [[Jackson Muleka]] || {{yel|65}} || {{subon|57}}
|-
|MF ||'''22'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Maxime Lestienne]] || || {{subon|75}} 
|-
|GK ||'''1'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Jean-François Gillet]]
|-
|DF ||'''6'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Noë Dussenne]]
|-
|MF ||'''15'''||{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Eden Shamir]]
|-
|DF ||'''21'''||{{flagicon|CMR}} [[Collins Fai]] 
|-
|DF ||'''33'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Damjan Pavlovic]]
|-
|colspan=4|'''Manager:'''
|-
|colspan="4"|{{flagicon|SEN}} [[Mbaye Leye]]
|}
|valign="top"|
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center
|-
!width="25"| !!width="25"|
|-
|GK ||'''26''' ||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Maarten Vandevoordt]]
|-
|RB ||'''23''' ||{{flagicon|COL}} [[Daniel Muñoz (footballer)|Daniel Muñoz]] || {{yel|56}}
|-
|CB ||'''46'''||{{flagicon|COL}} [[Carlos Cuesta (footballer)|Carlos Cuesta]]
|-
|CB ||'''33'''||{{flagicon|COL}} [[Jhon Lucumí]]
|-
|LB ||'''5'''||{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Gerardo Arteaga]] 
|-
|MF ||'''7'''||{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Junya Itō (footballer, born 1993)|Junya Itō]]
|-
|MF ||'''17'''||{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Patrik Hrošovský]] || {{yel|90}}
|-
|MF ||'''42'''||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Kristian Thorstvedt]] || || {{suboff|87}} 
|-
|MF ||'''8'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Bryan Heynen]] 
|-
|CF ||'''10'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Théo Bongonda]]
|-
|CF ||'''18'''||{{flagicon|NGA}} [[Paul Onuachu]]
|-
|colspan=4|'''Substitutes:'''
|-
|DF ||'''2'''||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mark McKenzie (soccer, born 1999)|Mark McKenzie]] || || {{subon|87}}
|-
|FW ||'''9'''||{{flagicon|NGA}} [[Cyriel Dessers]] 
|-
|MF ||'''14'''||{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Bastien Toma]] 
|-
|DF ||'''21'''||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Jere Uronen]]
|-
|MF ||'''24'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Luca Oyen]]
|-
|GK ||'''40'''||{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Tobe Leysen]]
|-
|DF ||'''77'''||{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Ángelo Preciado]] 
|-
|colspan=4|'''Manager:'''
|-
|colspan="4"|{{flagicon|NED}} [[John van den Brom]]
|}
|}

{| style="width:100%; font-size:90%;"
|style="width:40%; vertical-align:top;"|
'''[[Assistant referee (association football)|Assistant referees]]:'''
<br />Kevin Monteny
<br />Yves De Neve
<br />'''[[Assistant referee (association football)#Fourth official|Fourth official]]:'''
<br />Jan Boterberg
|}
{| width=100% style="font-size: 90%"
|style="width:60%; vertical-align:top;"|
'''Match rules'''
*90 minutes.
*30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
*Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
*Eight named substitutes.
*Maximum of three substitutions.
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20120622110948/http://www.cofidiscup.be:80/}} {{in lang|fr|nl}}

{{Belgian Cup}}
{{2020–21 in Belgian football}}
{{2020–21 in European football (UEFA)}}
{{Standard Liège matches}}
{{K.R.C. Genk matches}}

[[Category:Belgian Cup finals]]
[[Category:2020–21 in Belgian football|Cup Final]]
[[Category:April 2021 sports events in Belgium|Belgian Cup Final]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Brussels]]
[[Category:2021 in Brussels|Belgian Cup Final]]
[[Category:Standard Liège matches]]
[[Category:K.R.C. Genk matches]]