The mighty Red Devils were stunned by the Slovakian side in their opening match of UEFA Euro 2024, losing the match 0-1 after conceding in the seventh minute. A defensive masterclass by Slovakia left the Belgian attack and midfield frustrated. Slovakia took early control of the possession and were solid at the back throughout the game. Kevin De Bruyne did not look like himself in the first half and was mainly absent between the Slovakian midfield. Jeremy Doku’s pace was threatening at times, but a lack of clinical finishing in the final third meant a clean sheet for the underdogs. Romelu Lukaku had a day to forget, missing three chances in front of the goal and getting his 2 goals ruled out by VAR.
On the other hand, Slovakia’s Lobotka showcased a masterclass midfield performance, helping on both attack and defence. Lobotka controlled the midfield with Ondrej Duda and Juraj Kucka, pocketing Kevin De Bruyne tightly. Belgium created dangerous goal scoring chances in the second half, but the defensive partnership of Denis Vavro and Milan Skriniar was too formidable for the former to exploit. In the 62nd minute, David Hancko made an insane goal line clearance, putting his body on the line and quite probably the highlight of the match.
VAR was on duty today, ruling out Lukaku’s two goals – one for offside and one for handball by Lois Openda. The VAR decisions broke the Belgian hearts and saved the day for the Slovakians.
1) Defensive Masterclass By Slovakia
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The Slovakian defence was on point today against Belgium’s pacy attack. The defensive partnership of Skriniar and Vavro locked down the Belgium attack and a world-class goal line clearance from David Hancko killed any hope that Belgium had of scoring. Slovakia were playing in a 4-3-3 formation but were shifting to a 4-1-4-1 setup in defensive transition.
2) VAR Drama
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VAR was on full force today, ruling out two goals by Romelu Lukaku. The VAR decision changed the landscape of the game as Belgium were looking like their former self in the second half, creating chances after chances. Both goals were ruled offside after they were given, breaking the hearts of the Belgian fans in the stadium
3) It Really Wasn’t Lukaku’s Night
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Romelu Lukaku will have a lot on his mind after a disappointing striking performance today against Slovakia. The striker missed three golden opportunities that could have given Belgium a chance to win their opening match of UEFA Euro 2024. Lukaku tried amending for his first half misses, scoring twice in the second half. The striker was shocked to have his two goals ruled offside by VAR, marking a disappointing day for Red Devil’s striker.
4) Doku-De Bruyne Partnership Could Be Deadly
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Despite the negative result, the Manchester City duos – Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne put up an effort to dismantle the Slovakian defence. Kevin De Bruyne was not looking like himself in the first half, but gradually warmed up to the game, creating attack chances with his passing and vision. Jeremy Doku was electric with his dribbling on the right and caused problems for Slovakia’s defence whole night but lacked final third support from his teammates. If Belgium solves the clinical attack problem in the final third, then it is possible that Belgium can make it deep into the tournament.
Belgium’s loss to Slovakia means that they will be placed 3rd in Group E with 0 points, while Slovakia is placed on second with 3 points.
The Red Devils were coming in hot favourites against Slovakia, who stunned the Belgian side and won the match by a single goal. This might be one of the biggest shocks in the history of the tournament. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
