Belgium’s Red Devils secured a 2-0 victory over Romania in their second Group E match of the Euro 2024 on Saturday in Cologne, moving them up to second place with three points. Goals from Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne sealed the win.
Arthur Theate, Jan Vertonghen, Youri Tielemans and Dodi Lukebakio were welcomed into the starting 11 and the decision was quickly justified when just 73 seconds into the game, Tielemans put Belgium ahead with a powerful strike.
Besides an early headshot attempt by Radu Dragusin, the first half saw the Red Devils dominate with clear opportunities for Romelu Lukaku and Lukebakio. However, the final touches from the Devils were narrowly missed.
Kevin De Bruyne and Arthur Theate celebrate the win against Romania. Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
Continuing their dominance in the second half, Kevin De Bruyne became more visible. De Bruyne initially brushed the post with a shot before missing a pass to Jérémy Doku. Lukaku thought he’d doubled the score, but VAR disallowed his goal due to a slight offside.
Goalkeeper Casteels had to step up against Dennis Man, who failed to take advantage of a gift from Amadou Onana. The much-needed relief finally came from De Bruyne’s foot, exploiting the Romanian defence’s weak spot to win his duel with Florin Nita.
Belgium’s victory puts them in second place in Group E, where all four teams now have three points. The Red Devils will face Ukraine in their final group match on Wednesday at 18:00 in Stuttgart, while Slovakia will compete against Romania in Frankfurt.
Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
Speaking to Belga News Agency, Vertonghen said: "I hope our Euro run has started. The first goal is to get out of the groups, and then I believe anything is possible."
Romanian coach Edward Iordanescu praised Belgium for its win. "We have played against a team brimming with quality, speed, strength and explosivity," he told a press conference, adding that Romania was not yet disqualified and its upcoming match against Slovakia would be a "moment of truth".
