Belgium v Romania: Euro 2024 – live
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Round two of our blog series is here!
David Wall wonders if it is silly to want Belgium to advance in the group stage just so they can possibly play against another team that wears red and force Belgium to wear their Tintin away kit.
Belgium Leads 1-0 Against Romania At Halftime
The first half of the football match in Cologne has been very impressive. Belgium may be disappointed that they only have a one-goal lead. Romania has shown good defensive skills and are definitely still in the game.
45 minutes have passed in the game and Burca is feeling disappointed with himself after missing a chance from a corner kick.
An additional sixty seconds included.
"Belgium must stay focused," Krishna emphasizes. "Romania has talented players like Puskas and Hagi on their bench."
At the 44th minute, De Bruyne gets a pass from Lukebakio near the penalty area. He tries to shoot, but his attempt lacks power and Nita easily saves it.
42 minutes in: Alex Gemmell's opinion on Lukaku has changed. He believes Lukaku is not performing well and is being used more as a stationary player to pass the ball to. Gemmell thought Lukaku played poorly in the first match and is showing limitations in this game as well.
Good at keeping possession of the ball but lacks effectiveness in front of goal.
In the 40th minute, Faes tries to stop Dragus from getting to a pass, but doesn't quite succeed. This gives Dragus a small opportunity, but Casteels steps in just in time to prevent a scoring chance.
"Peter Oh believes that the player wearing number 20 for Romania is quite skillful," Peter stated. "If I were a defender from Belgium, I would do my best to challenge him and stop his plays."
38 minutes into the game, the man realizes that passing may not be the best option. Instead, he decides to take matters into his own hands. When he receives the ball again, he moves towards the goal from the right side and shoots with his left foot towards the bottom corner. However, Casteels is able to make a save and prevent a goal.
At the opposite side, Onana passes the ball to Lukebakio, but defenders from Romania quickly follow him and regain possession inside the penalty area before he can take a shot. Despite this, Belgium is awarded a corner kick. Unfortunately, they are unable to convert it into a scoring opportunity.
At the 36th minute, Lukebakio received a yellow card for making a very aggressive challenge on Dragus. This means he will not be able to play in the last group game.
Romania executed their top play of the game, but it was cut short when Man's pass missed its target in the penalty area. There were some encouraging moments, though.
34 minutes: De Bruyne is at the top of his game tonight. He is constantly demanding the ball and his fancy footwork is impressing everyone. He remains the most important player for his team.
Belgium is in control of the game, and Lukebakio is the most recent player to get an opportunity to score. However, his shot from 18 yards out is blocked and goes over the goal.
32 minutes into the game, Doku managed to get a shot off after tricking Razvan Marin in the box. He aimed for the near post, but Nita was able to save it.
30 minutes into the game, Belgium appears to be playing with great confidence. Doku has a small opportunity after a good team play, but Ratiu defends well and only concedes a corner.
After 28 minutes, Marius Marin fouls De Bruyne in the middle of the field in Romania's territory. It seems like the Romania midfielder should come up with a different strategy if he wants to avoid being taken off the field.
26 minutes have passed and there is a pause as Mihăilă is being treated for an unspecified injury. It appears to be a clever tactic to halt the game, in my opinion.
"If they continue to play strong defense, I believe Romania has a good chance of scoring a goal similar to the Italian style, even if they are not dominating the game," Joshua Reynolds proposes.
After 24 minutes, the Belgian team once again moves closer to the opponent's penalty area. Doku finds himself in a risky position just six yards away from the goal, but the defense manages to stop him.
De Bruyne attempts to score, but his pass is blocked and results in a corner kick. The Manchester City player goes to take the corner, but Nita easily catches the ball in the air.
Romania advances up the field with Mihăilă, who manages to penetrate the opposing team's penalty area but faces difficulty in controlling the ball. He stumbles and attempts to draw a penalty, but the referee does not award one. Ultimately, Belgium is awarded a free-kick.
In the 22nd minute, Romania earns a corner kick from the left side. They have been a threat from these situations in the game. Despite attempting a creative play from the training ground, it doesn't come off successfully, resulting in a missed shot from Mihăilă.
In the 20th minute of the game, a well-executed corner kick gave Vertonghen a great opportunity to score, but unfortunately, he missed the target with his shot from 10 yards away.
Tielemans is feeling the effects of a blow to the back of his head. It doesn't appear to be a serious injury. In retaliation, he quickly brings down Razvan Marin shortly after.
18 minutes into the game, Lukebakio is stopped by Marius Marin, who manages to avoid getting a yellow card. It seems like Romania doesn't have a clear strategy for effectively defending against the wingers.
Romania had a difficult time clearing a pass, eventually kicking the ball all the way to Onana near the penalty area. However, his shot was not accurate.
What a fantastic play! De Bruyne cleverly maneuvers through the Romanian defense and passes to Lukebakio on the right. Lukebakio then cuts in and shoots, but Nita makes a remarkable save to his right.
16 minutes: Lukebakio and Doku have been the most energetic pair of wingers in this tournament. They will continue to dazzle with their tricky moves for some time to come.
14 minutes into the game, Lukaku gets a pass from Doku near the goal. He quickly turns and takes a shot, but a defender slides in to block it, resulting in a corner kick. It was a missed opportunity for Lukaku to score and make it 2-0.
"I used to choose Romania instead of England during international tournaments when I was younger because Romania was considered the weaker team and my English father was not very nice, while my Romanian mother was fantastic," recalls Paul Curievici. "The matches in 1998 and 2000 were really exciting, especially in 2000 when I was old enough to watch in a pub. Looking back, it might have been better for me to not draw attention to myself."
Greetings to all who have entered my daughter's realm.
After 12 minutes, Belgium is currently dominating the game, confidently keeping possession of the ball and searching for an opportunity to break through the defensive line of Romania. Romania understands that they must put in a lot of effort to remain competitive in this match.
Doku attempts to outsmart the full-back, but he stands his ground and makes Doku pass back to Tielemans. Tielemans then tries to shoot from 20 yards away, but his shot is blocked.
10 minutes have passed and neither team is willing to give up any ground. Lukebakio is fouled near the touchline, but the referee doesn't call it even though it was clearly a foul. Lukebakio gets back up cautiously, but looks like he can still play.
8 minutes into the game, there was a tense moment as De Bruyne tried to reach a ball but Nita got there first. There was a collision but thankfully, it was all resolved peacefully. Everyone was watching closely to see what would happen.
6 minutes have passed and the beginning has been full of energy.
"Is it right to compare two groups of Red Devils?" Charles Antaki wonders, "One group has been consistently disappointing lately, weighed down by their past and only a few standout players. They seem envious of their more successful and glamorous rivals. The other group is the Belgian national team."
The Romanian fans in the audience are really excited for this game and the players are aware that they need to step up. They earn a corner kick on the right side. The play is executed well and eventually the ball is crossed into the box from the other side, giving Dragusin a chance to head towards goal. However, Casteels manages to raise an arm and deflect the ball over the goal.
Score! Belgium has just scored at a big tournament. Belgium are playing with high energy right from the start and are posing a threat. Doku gives the ball to Lukaku, who controls it and passes it to Tielemans, who then smashes the ball into the net from 18 yards away. Belgium are now in the lead and have started off strong.
Belgium Scores First Against Romania
A precise shot from outside the penalty area.
Hello, everyone! It's time to get started!
I really love seeing the red and yellow colors together on the field. Those team uniforms are so appealing to me.
"I remember the Romanian tie from the last Euros," Krishna recalls. "My friend Bogdan, who currently lives in Belgium, is at the stadium today. I jokingly told him, 'I hope you don't lose by more than 2 goals,' to which he replied, 'I'm the winner no matter who wins'."
Many people are eager to point out that Belgium has not scored in their last three games in important competitions. Will that trend end tonight?
Some time ago, I wrote a blog post discussing Doku and also shared some thoughts from his coach in Belgium during his youth.
"Are you trying to start a fight between regions?" Joe Pearson questions. "The person wearing the Belgian Fries hat is clearly challenging the dominance of French cuisine. I hope this doesn't lead to a larger conflict."
"Furthermore, did your wife write the introduction for you since you mentioned that your Romanian is not very good."
Belgium must advance past the group stage before they can potentially face off against France. The author of the outcome is uncertain.
Big Ange is also appearing on ITV. What a great addition for the guys.
Ange Postecoglou is expressing his thoughts effectively in this interview, in my opinion.
Since my daughter is of Romanian descent, she had the chance to choose which team to root for in the tournament. Surprisingly, she decided to support Romania instead of England. Will her decision prove to be successful in the end?
Check out this pre-game article written by the Guardian's Karen Carney about the upcoming England match. She will be providing some analysis during the game, so be sure to give it a read before kickoff.
Belgium's formation for the game was 4-2-3-1, with Casteels in goal and a defensive line of Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, and Theate. The midfield duo of Tielemans and Onana supported the attacking trio of Lukebakio, De Bruyne, and Doku, with Lukaku leading the line up front.
Substitutes: Kaminski, Sels, First Appearances, Trossard, Carrasco, Vranckx, De Ketelaere, Mangala, Openda, Vermeeren, De Cuyper
Romania lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Nita in goal. The defense consisted of Ratiu, Dragusin, Burca, and Bancu. In the midfield, M Marin played a holding role with Man, R Marin, Stanciu, and Mihăilă providing support. Up front, Dragus led the line for Romania.
Bloggers: Moldovan, Tarnovanu, Rus, Nedelcearu, Alibec, Cicaldau, Pușcaș, Hagi, Olaru, Coman, Magos, Sorescu, Racovitan, Birligea, Sut
Approximately 25,000 people from Romania will be in the crowd in Cologne, creating a large presence of yellow. The Belgians, on the other hand, will also have a strong showing.
Discover more about the exciting new chapter of Romanian football with our pal Nick Ames.
Both teams had a surprising start to the tournament with Belgium losing to Slovakia and Romania defeating Ukraine 3-0. Despite their different performances in the first round, it is believed that Belgium will win in Cologne and kickstart their Euro campaign.
Soccer can be challenging at times, and Romania may see an opportunity against the Red Devils. They are feeling confident and looking to pull off another surprise win.
Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates may feel a bit exhausted from a successful club season, but they haven't quite met expectations on the international stage. It seems like the glory days of the golden generation are over, and we're unsure if this team can make it far in the tournament.
The days of Gheorghe Hagi and Gheorghe Popescu are long gone. Romania's team now has a new generation of players that has given fans hope for the next stage. Come on Romania!
Cheers to a fantastic day.
