In a crucial Group E clash, Belgium bounced back from their opening defeat against Slovakia with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Romania at the Cologne Stadium in the late kick-off of Saturday, June 22nd.
The result of the last game of round two leaves all four teams in the group on three points after two games, setting up a tantalizing final round of fixtures on Wednesday.
The Red Devils made the perfect start, taking the lead after just 73 seconds. Romelu Lukaku’s flick set up Youri Tielemans to shoot home a powerful right-footed strike past Florin Nita, ending Belgium’s unwanted run of failing to score in three consecutive major tournament matches.
Tielemans’ goal is the third-fastest goal in European Championship history and was a statement of intent from Domenico Tedesco’s side, who were determined to respond after their surprise opening-day loss.
The Romanians, however, were unfazed and nearly hit back immediately, with Koen Casteels producing a fine save to tip over Radu Dragudin’s powerful header in the 5th minute.
The end-to-end nature of the first half continued, with Kevin De Bruyne at the heart of Belgium’s best moments. The Manchester City maestro set up Dodi Lukébakio, only to see his effort saved, before curling a shot just wide of the post. The half ended 1-0 in favour of the Red Devils.
Romania kept probing after the break and almost grabbed an equaliser when Valentin Mihaila broke clear, only to fire over the bar. As the game opened up, man of the match De Bruyne finally sealed the points late on, muscling past Radu Dragusin before calmly slotting past the onrushing Nita in the 80th minute.
It was a crucial victory for Belgium, who bounced back in style to get their EURO 2024 campaign up and running. The result leaves Group E finely poised, with all four teams harbouring realistic hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
With Slovakia taking on Romania and Ukraine facing the Red Devils in the final round of fixtures on Wednesday at 7 pm, fans can expect plenty of twists and turns as the group reaches its climax.
