Excitedly waiting for Group E at Euro 2024

Belgium (right) and Romania (left) dominate the race in Group E - Photo: Reuters

At 11pm on June 26 (Vietnam time), the final matches of Group E will take place, including Slovakia - Romania and Ukraine - Belgium.

Unbelievable scenario

Before Euro 2024, this was the least watched group. Slovakia and Romania were two of the four teams with the worst squad values ​​in the tournament. Belgium (ranked 8th) and Ukraine (ranked 10th) had superior strength and were expected to easily overcome this group. But now, Belgium and Ukraine are having difficulty getting tickets at the same time.

All four teams have three points, but Romania are currently leading the group with a goal difference of 3-2, followed by Belgium (2-1), Slovakia (2-2) and Ukraine (2-4). Being the last team and facing Belgium in the final match, Ukraine's chances of advancing are obviously the worst in the group.

But on the other hand, there are countless different scenarios awaiting all four teams. Ukraine is currently bottom of the group and will they definitely be eliminated if they lose to Belgium? Not necessarily. Suppose Ukraine loses 0-1 to Belgium, they will still finish third in the group if Slovakia loses by 3 goals to Romania. In that case, Ukraine with 3 points is completely capable of qualifying for the group stage thanks to the ticket for the third-placed teams with good records. That is because Croatia - the third-placed team in Group B - only has 2 points.

The above scenario would apply to Romania, Belgium and Slovakia. Even if they lose, they would still have the right to expect a favorable result from the match at the same time.

Open two screens to monitor

The most regrettable thing for fans is that Belgium and Ukraine are forced into a life-or-death confrontation. Kevin De Bruyne - who is 33 years old this year - is participating in what is probably his last Euro. So are Lukaku (31 years old), Carrasco (30 years old), Vertonghen (37 years old) - representatives of the best "golden generation" in the history of Belgian football. It would be a pity if they could not get past the group stage.

Meanwhile, Ukraine brings one of the youngest squads to Euro 2024. Most of Ukraine's current stars are still young. They are Lunin (25 years old), Trubin (22 years old), Zabarnyi (22 years old), Mykolenko (25 years old), Sudakov (21 years old), Mudryk (23 years old)... This talented generation of Ukrainian football players promises to stick together for the next 5-6 years.

But more than ever, Ukraine's national team has the opportunity to make an unprecedented positive impact on its people at home.

Iraq won the Asian Cup in 2007, becoming a symbol of the vitality of this Middle Eastern country. Ukraine is the same now. They lost miserably to Romania in their opening match, then fell behind to Slovakia in their second match before exploding late to save their hopes.

It is worth noting that although Ukraine has many world-class stars, the majority of their squad - a total of 14 players - are still playing in the domestic league.

Romania, the weakest team in the group, is the team with the highest chance of making it out of the group stage. Coach Iordanescu and his team only need a draw or even a slight loss to make it out of the group stage. This is a very possible goal for Romania, because they have a respectable defense. In the past year, Romania has only conceded 8 goals in a total of 12 matches.

Fans need to turn on two football screens at the same time at 11pm tonight to watch the most exciting race for tickets at Euro 2024.

Türkiye just need a draw

The final match of Group F (2am on June 27) includes Czech Republic - Türkiye and Georgia - Portugal. Portugal is already in the top position of the group so of course they will use their reserve team in this match. Georgia, despite being far behind, still hopes to cause a surprise.

To secure their tickets, Georgia and the Czech Republic must win their final match. Meanwhile, Türkiye only needs 1 point against the Czech Republic to be assured. This is an achievable goal, as Türkiye has won all 3 recent matches against the Czech Republic.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoi-hop-cho-bang-eo-euro-2024-20240626090607781.htm