By Belgium bounced back from their disappointing loss to Slovakia with a commanding 2-0 victory over Romania in their second Euro 2024 Group E match. Goals from Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne secured the win for the Red Devils, who showed significant improvement from their opening game performance.
The match, played in challenging wet conditions, saw Belgium dominate possession and create numerous chances. Romelu Lukaku, despite not scoring, was a constant threat to the Romanian defense. In the 90th minute, he nearly added his name to the scoresheet with a powerful shot that was well saved by Romanian goalkeeper Nita.
Kevin De Bruyne sealed the victory for Belgium in the 80th minute with a well-timed run to beat Nita to a long ball from goalkeeper Casteels. The goal stood after a VAR check, putting the game beyond Romania’s reach.
Despite the loss, Romania showed resilience and had moments of promise, particularly in the 88th minute when Alibec nearly capitalized on a defensive error by Faes. However, Jan Vertonghen’s crucial intervention denied Romania a consolation goal.
The match was not without controversy, as a disallowed goal for Lukaku due to a marginal offside decision sparked debate about the use of VAR in such tight calls. Simon McMahon suggested adopting a cricket-style “umpire’s call” for extremely close decisions, highlighting the ongoing discussions about technology in football.
With this result, each team in Group E now has one win after two games, setting up an intriguing final round of matches. Belgium’s improved performance will boost their confidence going into their last group game, while Romania, despite the loss, showed enough quality to remain optimistic about their chances of progression.
As the tournament progresses, Belgium will be relieved to have gotten their campaign back on track, while Romania will look to regroup and secure a positive result in their crucial final group match against Slovakia.
