Jupiler League: All eyes on Onuachu as Genk kick off the new season

The last few days have been boring for football fans, even though it was only just two weeks ago that the Copa America and Euros ended.

However, the wait is finally over as the 2020/2021 season kicks off today, with the Belgian league the first in Europe’s top ten leagues to start.

Standard Liege hosts last season’s runners up Genk in the first match of this Jupiler League season. While both teams will hope to start on a winning note, all eyes will be on one man, and that’s Paul Onuachu.

The Nigerian international etched his name into the history books last season after he became the first man in this century to reach the 30-goal mark in the Belgian top-flight last season.

Onuachu scored a massive 33 league goals, including the playoffs, to finish as the top scorer in the Jupiler League last season, not counting the additional two he scored in the Belgian Cup.

Of the 35 goals he scored in all competitions last season, ten were with his right foot, six with the left foot, eleven with his head and eight penalties.

It was indeed his season. Although the Nigerian striker had always been ruthless in front of goal, last season was his best yet.

However, with the new season starting today, Onuachu will be under added pressure to build on his performance from last season.

While he may still leave this summer with some Premier League clubs interested in his services, Onuachu should embrace the pressure that comes with the new season.

For Genk, they will hope to better last season’s second-place finish, but their chances of winning the title rest on their star striker’s firepower (if he stays).