Belgium Suffers Humiliation in Loss to Slovakia
Initial setbacks, ending in vain: Favored Belgium succumbed to a defeat against surprise team Slovakia in their EURO opener. Standard bearer Romelu Lukaku scored twice, but each goal was overturned due to VAR rulings. Slovakia secured previous EURO victory number two.
Shaky defense, star misfires, pre-match anxieties: Consistent underdog Belgium experienced a disheartening EURO debut and is under significant strain, along with their German coach Domenico Tedesco. Slovakia's 1-0 (0-1) victory over longshot opposition occurred under Manager Ivan Schranz in Group E.
Schranz (7') found the back of the net for Slovakia, but Lukaku's two goals were thwarted - due to VAR connected signals from referee Bastian Dankert. Tedesco's victory stretch came to an end. Prior to Belgium's discouraging EURO debut, the team under Tedesco's guidance had been unbeaten (10 wins, 4 draws) in the previous 16 months. In another Group E encounter, Romania overpowered Ukraine 3:0 (1:0).
The Belgians launched an aggressive attack against Slovakia in their initial EURO meeting. Lukaku took the lead early, but couldn't beat Slovakian keeper Martin Dubravka (3'); the goal remained controversially unconfirmed for several minutes.
Belgians fell short at World Cup 2022 in group stage
The goal unexpectedly emerged from the opposite end. After a brief absence of young sensation Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Slovakia's Koen Casteels (still with VfL Wolfsburg) blocked the ball in front of Schranz. The winger expressed gratitude. The goal instilled confidence in the Slovak team, which is competing in its third consecutive EURO. The team coached by Italian manager Francesco Calzona played with energy. Only a blunder from Dubravka gave Leandro Trossard the opportunity for equalization (21').
Despite this opportunity, the favored side with key player Kevin De Bruyne barely made an impact. The Belgians had a score to settle in Germany. The overhyped team had surprisingly underperformed in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup. At the 2021 EURO, Belgium was edged out by eventual champion Italy (1:2) in the quarterfinals.
Tedesco continued to push his players harder as the game progressed. The 38-year-old, who was replaced as the starting goalkeeper by Thibaut Courtois (Champions League winner Real Madrid) after a dispute during qualifying, found no success. The Belgians owed their narrow defeat to Casteels, who prevented a larger deficit by Lukas Haraslin (40'). On the opposing side, Lukaku equalized moments before halftime (42').
The second half started dismally for the Belgians. A goal by Lukaku (56') was disallowed due to an offside penalty. Dankert indicated for Turkish referee Umut Meler to overturn the decision. The enraged Belgian assault in the following minutes yielded no results. Lukaku (61') and replacement Johan Bakayoko (62') missed chances of epic proportions - the game devolved into chaos. The supposed equalizer by Lukaku (86') was denied due to a handball by Leipzig substitute Lois Openda.
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Despite Belgium's struggles in their EURO opener, Domenico Tedesco, their German coach, remains focused on turning things around for the favored team. The European Football Championship 2024 presents a new opportunity for redemption, where Belgium will look to leave their disappointing start behind them and make a strong showing.
