Slovakia keen to upset Belgium in Euro 2024 opener.
The Red Devils face Slovakia in their Euro 2024 opener at Deutsche Bank Park, where Belgium's star-studded squad aims to assert their Group E dominance against a hopeful Slovakian side seeking an upset.
Belgium
Belgium will take on Slovakia this Monday in their first-ever competitive meeting. Each of their previous three encounters took place in friendlies.
Domenico Tedesco’s men stormed through the qualifying round, finishing top of their group with 20 points from eight games (6W, 2D, & 0L). With three wins from their last five outings (WDDWW), Belgium are heading into Monday’s fixture as favourites to finish at the top of Group E.
“As we had the draw, of course, everybody said, 'You are the favourites, and you have to pass the group,' and I think, on paper, it is like this, but football is played on the pitch,” Domenico Tedesco said ahead of Monday’s fixture. Belgium’s best finish in the UEFA Euro was in 1980 when they lost to West Germany in the final.
Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, who was the highest goal scorer in the qualifying round with 14 goals, and Belgium’s most capped player, Jan Vertonghen (154), are part of Belgium’s squad. Tedesco’s squad also features City's Jérémy Doku.
A 3-4-2-1 formation employed in Belgium’s 3-0 win against Luxembourg is expected once again in this fixture against Slovakia. Romelu Lukaku will lead the attack.
Slovakia
Slovakia will be featuring in the UEFA Euro for the third consecutive time, having previously appeared in 2016 and 2020. Their highest-ever finish in the competition was in 2016, when they made it to the round of 16.
The Falcons finished second in the qualifying round, losing only twice to group winners Portugal. "Belgium are definitely the strongest team in our group," Slovakia head coach Francesco Calzona, who recently managed Napoli, said ahead of Monday’s game.
With a decent squad featuring familiar faces like PSG’s Milan Škriniar and Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka, Slovakia, who are the group's least-ranked team, will fancy their chances against Belgium. Calzona’s side have won three of their last five games, with a 4-0 win against Wales being the most recent.
A win for Slovakia will be one of the biggest upsets of Match Day 1. "I can imagine the game against Belgium ending up as a sensation on Monday," Slovakia assistant coach Marek Hamšík said. "This team has potential and a chance to advance from the group. We'll see how the players do on the field," he added.
A 4—3—3 formation with Róbert Boženík, Tomás Suslov, and Lukáš Haraslín in attack is expected.
Team form
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Team Comparison
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