Belgium in search of much-needed win over Group E leaders Romania.
In a must-win situation to keep their last-16 hopes alive, Belgium face high-flying Romania on Saturday evening, hoping to shake off a bruising loss to Slovakia and navigate a tricky first-time competitive showdown.
Belgium
After a shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia, Belgium is preparing to face Romania as they look to rekindle their chances of reaching the last 16. An early goal from Ivan Schranz left the Red Devils chasing the game, and despite his best efforts, Lukaku, who was also guilty of being wasteful, failed to find the leveller. The Belgians watched in horror as two would-be goals by Lukaku were ruled out by VAR.
Saturday’s clash against Romania could be the perfect opportunity to correct the mistakes of their opening-day defeat. In an interesting twist, Domenico Tedesco’s side will face Romania for the first time in a competitive encounter. However, Belgium has only won one of their last five matches against Romania.
A defeat on Saturday would see the Red Devils lose consecutive European championship matches for the first time ever, with their last such instance in a major tournament dating back to 1930. On Friday morning, Belgium will complete their final training session before heading to Cologne by train. A 3-4-2-1 formation with Romelu Lukaku in attack is expected once again.
After a listless performance from an ineffective midfield trio of Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Doku, Domenico Tedesco could be considering a few changes. This might be critical in ensuring a stronger display against Romania.
Romania
A confidence-boosting 3-0 win over Ukraine has left Romania in high spirits as they prepare for Match Day 2’s clash against Belgium. Nicolae Stanciu’s 29th-minute opener is already an early contender for goal of the tournament.
Romania is aiming to keep Belgium from finding their rhythm while enhancing their own chances of reaching the next phase. Surprisingly, they sit at the top of Group E with three points and a GD of +3, having kept a clean sheet against Ukraine.
A victory on Saturday would send Romania through to the round-of-16. It would also mark the Tricolours' [DLDDW] successive victories in a major football tournament for only the third time.
"It's a difficult game, totally different from the first. However, we have courage, belief in ourselves, and we know what we can do," Ianis Hagi said ahead of Saturday’s clash. He added, "Anything is possible if we work together."
For this fixture, a 4—1—4—1 formation with Denis Dragus in attack is expected.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.