In a match with everything on the line, Slovakia and Romania played out a thoroughly entertaining 1-1 draw that saw both teams book their place in the EURO 2024 knockout stage on Wednesday, June 26th.
Needing just a point to progress, the two sides put on an absorbing display of attacking football at the Frankfurt Arena, with neither side willing to settle for a draw until the final minutes.
Slovakia drew first blood in the 24th minute, as midfielder Juraj Kucka whipped in a pinpoint cross for Ondrej Duda to power home a towering header and open the scoring.
However, Romania hit back just 10 minutes later, winning a penalty after a VAR review deemed David Hancko’s challenge on Ianis Hagi to be inside the area. Razvan Marin stepped up coolly and rifled the spot-kick into the top corner to restore parity. The first half ended 1-1.
The second half saw both teams push for a winner, with the introduction of stormy weather only adding to the drama. Romania went close through Marin and Denis Dragus, while Slovakia’s David Strelec saw a thumping effort saved by Florin Nita.
In the end, the 1-1 scoreline proved a fair reflection of an evenly-matched contest, with both sides displaying the attacking quality and determination that has carried them this far in the tournament.
For Slovakia, this result marks the first time they have reached the knockout stages of a major international competition since their Euro 2016 campaign.
Meanwhile, Romania’s qualification represents a significant milestone, as they not only finished at the top of Group E but also advanced past the group stage of a European Championship for the first time since 2000.
Slovakia will face England in the Round of 16 on Sunday, June 30th, while Romania will travel to the Munich Football Arena to face the Netherlands on Tuesday, July 2nd.
