Belgium confirmed their Euro 2024 credentials with a 2-0 win over Romania in their opener in Cologne.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – KEVIN DE BRUYN (BELGIUM)
His hit – the first hit since hitting a long ball – led to a double, but nothing else in his game worked. He led the Belgian midfield and the tempo of the game all night and his goal rounded off a fine performance.
PLAYER RATINGS
Belgium: Casteels 7; Castagne 7, Vertonghen 7, Faes 6, Theate 6; Onana 6, Thielemans 7, De Bruyne 8; Lukebakio 7, Lukaku 7, Doku 7
DATA: Trossard 5, Carrasco 7, Mangala 6, Debast 6
Romania: Nita 7; Ratiu 5, Dragušin 6, Burca 7, Banću 6; Marius Marin 6, Razvan Marin 6, Stanciu 5; Man 7, Draguš 5, Mihaila 7
SUBSTITUTIONS: Hagi 7, Olaru 6, Alivec 6, Sorescu 6
Matchcast: Full match statistics and commentary (hyperlink)
Match broadcast: Complete match statistics and commentary
THE MOST IMPORTANT MATCHES
2′ GOAL! BELGIUM 1 (TIELEMANS 2) ROMANIA 0 What a start – after only 75 seconds Belgium are in the lead! They burst out of the traps and win the ball high as Doku finds Lukaku at his feet in the area. Lukaku touches it to Tillemans on the edge, who crashes low past Nita. That’s the beauty of being naked.
58′ CHANCE! Oh my God. Belgium wins it high again and Lukaku feeds De Bruyne in acres on the left. Doku is free at the back post and it looks like a simple ball, but De Bruyne puts too much on it and it slips past Doku. Will Belgium regret it?
63′ GOAL CANCELED! About my days. Belgium won the ball in the center of the circle and De Bruyne split the defense with a brilliant pass to slot Lukaku into the net. Lukaku flicks the ball past Nita into the bottom corner, but wait… that’s flagged for offside! It looked so close and now it’s a hat-trick of disallowed goals for Lukaku at Euro 2024.
68′ HUGE CHANCE! The man is clean for Romania! He sets up Castilles, one on one…and puts him right in the keeper’s stomach! It’s a big fail.
80′ GOAL! BELGIUM 2 (DE BRUINE 80) ROMANIA 0 Game over, for sure. Lukaku goes long from Castells and passes to De Bruyne in the area. De Bruyne fingers it past Castells as the two fly towards each other, and after a VAR check for offside, it stands!