COLOGNE, Germany — A goal by Youri Tielemans after 73 seconds and a late one for Kevin De Bruyne gave Belgium a 2-0 win over Romania in an incredible, action-packed game on Saturday that set up a final round showdown with all four teams in Group E on three points.
It was a Euro 2024 Saturday night special played in an astonishing atmosphere in Cologne, with the only mystery being how there were only two goals.
It meant that, for the first time in European Championship history, all four teams in a group are on equal points after two rounds, following Ukraine’s 2-1 win over Slovakia on Friday. All outcomes are now available on the final night on Wednesday when Belgium play Ukraine and Slovakia play Romania, where four points could be enough to top the group but could also see a team eliminated.
Romania and Belgium have the advantage with a plus-one goal difference. Slovakia are on zero and Ukraine on -2 — with those goal differences the deciding factor should both games end level.
Lukaku thought he had got the second after an hour, slotting home confidently from a De Bruyne through ball, only for VAR to rule it out for offside — five days after he had two goals chalked off against Slovakia.
The incredible end-to-end action continued with Dennis Man clean through for Romania only to shoot wastefully straight at Casteels and then, incredibly, it was the Belgian keeper who set up the second 10 minutes from time with a Sunday league, route one goal.
He launched a goal kick that evaded everyone and the ever-switched on Mr. De Bruyne seized on it to tuck the ball home for what could prove a priceless goal should the calculators be needed to split the teams next week. — Reuters
