SOCCER: Midtjylland go top after beating Genk as Forest and Braga also claim victories

HERNING, Denmark – Midtjylland extended their strong Europa League form on Thursday with a 1–0 home win over Belgian side K.R.C. Genk, moving to the top of the table.

The Danish club climbed to the summit with 15 points from six matches, with the rest of the round scheduled to be played later on Thursday. Genk sit just outside the top eight—within the knockout phase play-off positions—on 10 points.

Midtjylland struck early, scoring in the 17th minute when Dario Osorio unleashed a powerful left-footed effort from distance. Genk goalkeeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge failed to hold the shot, allowing Cho Gue-sung to pounce on the rebound and slot home.

The second half unfolded in a far quieter fashion, with both sides settling into a more conservative rhythm and producing few major chances as time wound down.

In Utrecht, Arnaud Kalimuendo gave Nottingham Forest the lead in the 52nd minute, but the hosts equalized late through a header from Mike van der Hoorn. Just before stoppage time, Igor Jesus delivered the decisive moment, securing a 2–1 victory for the visitors.

Three goals in seven minutes powered Real Betis to a win at Dinamo Zagreb, beginning with an own goal from Sergi Dominguez. Rodrigo Riquelme and Antony added two quick strikes to complete the burst before halftime. The match ended 3–1 after a late goal from Niko Galesic.

Braga earned a crucial 1–0 away win over Nice, with a first-half finish from Pau Victor proving enough to secure all three points.

VfB Stuttgart cruised to a 4–1 home victory against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, thanks to goals from Lorenz Assignon, Tiago Tomas, Maximilian Mittelstadt, and Josha Vagnoman.

Rangers’ struggles in the competition continued, despite an early goal from Bojan Miovski that briefly put them ahead at Ferencvaros. The hosts rallied in the second half with goals from Bence Otvos and Barnabas Varga, sealing a 2–1 win. Rangers remain with just a single point in the campaign. -Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon/Reuters