Belgium's Unbeaten Run Ends In Shock Defeat To Slovakia At Euro 2024

Romelu Lukaku experienced a frustrating evening as Belgium fell to a surprising 1-0 defeat against Slovakia in Euro 2024 Group E. Lukaku had two goals disallowed, and Belgium missed several key opportunities, allowing Slovakia to secure an unexpected victory.

Slovakia took the lead in the seventh minute when Ivan Schranz scored his nation's fastest goal at a major tournament. Schranz capitalised on an error by Jeremy Doku, finishing calmly from a tight angle. This early goal came after Belgium had already squandered two excellent chances, with Lukaku failing to beat Martin Dubravka from close range and Leandro Trossard unable to find Lukaku in space.

The second half saw Belgium continue to press for an equaliser. Lukaku thought he had levelled the score when he tapped home from Amadou Onana's knockdown, but a VAR check ruled him offside. Johan Bakayoko also had an effort cleared off the line before Lukaku found the net again from Lois Openda's cutback. However, this goal was disallowed due to a handball by Openda.

Belgium's Unbeaten Run Ends

This defeat marks Belgium's first loss since 27 November 2022, when they were beaten by Morocco in the World Cup group stage. The loss ends their second-longest unbeaten run of 15 matches, consisting of 10 wins and five draws. Despite creating numerous chances, Belgium's luck was not on their side, as they recorded 1.9 expected goals, with Lukaku responsible for 0.8 of that total.

Group E Standings

With this result, Belgium sits third in Group E. Slovakia joins Romania on three points, causing the first significant upset of Euro 2024. The Red Devils will need to regroup quickly as they aim to advance further in the tournament.

OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) June 17, 2024