Belgium - Romania (2am June 23): No more room for mistakes, Lukaku should stop being 'unlucky'
Báo Thanh niên•22/06/2024
After a surprising victory over Ukraine in the opening match of Group E - EURO 2024, "dark horse" Romania is expected to continue to make history when facing Belgium at 2:00 a.m. on June 23.
The Romanian team defeated Ukraine with 3-0 in the first match of Group E on June 17, which was the first big shock of EURO 2024. Notably, this was only the second victory of the Romanian team at the biggest European football tournament, since they defeated England at EURO 2000. At the moment, the spirit of the team led by coach Edward Iordanescu is very high. Three points in the opening match helped the Romanian team become a strong candidate for a ticket to the next round of Group B in the knockout round of EURO 2024.
Lukaku (right) continues to be expected to help the Belgian team overcome difficulties.
REUTERS
Not only do they have a psychological advantage, it is surprising that history is also on the side of the Romanian team (ranked 47th in the world), which is considered much weaker than Belgium (ranked 3rd in the world). This will be the first time Romania and Belgium have met at a major tournament (including the World Cup and EURO). The last time the two teams met was 12 years ago (2012), Romania beat Belgium in a friendly match. The last time Belgium defeated Romania was in 2011, also in a friendly match. That was the only victory of the Belgians against Romania in the last 5 matches (Belgium lost 3 and drew 1 in the remaining 4 matches). The most important factor contributing to the success of the Romanian team so far is their perseverance and emphasis on efficiency in their playing style. Coach Iordanescu's team won when they only had 28% possession against Ukraine. In addition, Romania's dangerous weapon is their long-range shots. 2/3 of the goals scored by this team against Ukraine came from beautiful shots outside the penalty area. At this time, fans must be looking forward to how Romania will perform, when they are able to promote their defensive strengths and wait for opportunities against a stronger team like Belgium. If Romania creates the first shock, then Belgium will be the "victim" of Slovakia in the second shock at EURO 2024. After losing in the opening match against Slovakia (losing 0-1), there will be no room for mistakes from the Belgian team. Coach Domenico Tedesco's team must win against Romania to rekindle their hopes of passing the group stage. The Belgian team has more than enough ability but lacks desire and luck. Kevin De Bruyne needs to show the class and mettle of a "locomotive". People also expect coach Tedesco to return Jeremy Doku to his rightful position (on the left wing), so that the Man.City star can maximize his ability. More than anyone else, striker Romelu Lukaku must quickly regain his confidence, proving that his title as top scorer (14 goals, 8 matches) in the EURO 2024 qualifiers is not an "accident".
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