With their backs against the wall, the Devils cannot find a solution and do not create an opportunity. We had to wait until the 40th minute for the match to finally get going. In the 40th minute, Kucka has plenty of time to send an excellent cross back towards Harasin who sends a nice shot and forces Casteels to pull out all the stops. In the process, Carrasco sends a nice through ball to Lukaku who misses his one -one-on-one with the goalkeeper following a good return from Skriniar.
Black, yellow, red tide in Frankfurt for the Devils’ first match at Euro 2024: “We opened the bars this morning” (video)
The second period was better for the Devils. But our compatriots cannot find the net. And even when they get there, like Lukaku in the 56th minute, the referee calls a logical offside. The 31-year-old striker tries his luck from the right a few minutes later, but it hits the side net.
Often criticized in the national team, Openda turns into a providential hero to accelerate on the left side and serve Lukaku. For the second time in the match, Lukaku scores. And for the second time in the match, the VAR canceled the goal, this time for a very involuntary hand from Openda at the start of the action…
Too messy in the last minutes, the Belgians no longer had an opportunity to equalize. They failed to enter the tournament, after an insufficient performance, however tinged with a certain lack of success.
We will have to re-mobilize for the group’s second meeting. It will be Saturday evening against Romania, surprise winner a little earlier in the afternoon against Ukraine (3-0).
The compositions:
BELGIUM: Casteels, Castagne, Faes, Debast, Carrasco, Mangala, Onana, De Bruyne, Doku, Trossard, Lukaku.
SLOVAKIA: Dubravka, Hancko, Skriniar, Vavro, Pekarik, Duda, Lobotka, Kucka, Haraslin, Bozenik, Schranz.
Goal: Schranz (0-1, 7th)
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