In a major upset at EURO 2024, Slovakia pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory over Belgium in their Group E clash on Monday, June 17th, at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, thanks to an early strike from Ivan Schranz and a resilient defensive display.
The match started with end-to-end action, as both teams carved out early chances. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku squandered a golden opportunity and was denied by Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
However, it was the Slovaks who broke the deadlock shortly after, capitalising on a defensive error from Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku. Juraj Kucka’s effort was saved, but Schranz was on hand to tuck home the rebound, giving Slovakia a surprise lead in the 7th minute.
Despite going behind, Belgium remained undeterred and continued to dominate possession in the first half and create chances. Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard saw his long-range effort sail over the empty goal, while Amadou Onana had a header saved.
The second half was a one-way affair, with Belgium piling on the pressure in search of an equaliser. Dubravka made a pair of smart saves to deny Lukaku and Trossard, while the former also had a close-range effort ruled out for offside in the 56th minute.
David Hancko’s stunning goal-line clearance prevented Johan Bakayoko from levelling the scores late on. Lukaku thought he had scored in the 86th minute, but his goal was ruled out again by VAR for a handball in the build-up.
Slovakia’s resilient defensive display proved crucial, as they weathered the storm and eventually hung on to secure a historic 1-0 victory over the highly-fancied Belgians.
The shock result marks the first time Slovakia have beaten Belgium in their history, and it represents a significant upset in the early stages of EURO 2024.
Slovakia now move into second place in Group E, behind leaders Romania, who comfortably defeated Ukraine earlier in the day. For Belgium, the loss is their first opening group game defeat at a European Championship for only the second time in their history.
Belgium will face Romania next on Saturday, 22nd June in what promises to be a mouthwatering clash, while the Slovaks will travel to the Dusseldorf Arena to face Ukraine a day before.
