EURO 2024
Belgium back on track with win in Cologne
Goals from Youri Tielemans and former Wolfsburg star Kevin De Bruyne helped Belgium to a first win at Euro 2024, with vanquished Romania also left cursing Wolves' goalkeeper Koen Casteels in Cologne.
Belgium 2-0 Romania
Goals: 1-0 Tielemans 2’ (assist: Lukaku), 2-0 De Bruyne 80' (assist: Casteels)
A cauldron of colour greeted these teams in Cologne, with Belgium hoping to make hay in the carnival atmosphere having surprisingly lost their Group E opener against Slovakia. Indeed, it took the Red Devils all of two minutes to break Romania's timid resistance, Youri Tielemans' first-time effort from Romelu Lukaku's lay-off flying past Florin Niță to send the Red Devils' contingent into raptures. The former Schalke and Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco set his Belgium side up in an attacking 3-4-3 formation yet despite them dominating the remainder of the first half, they failed to find a second against a largely untroubled Niță. Romania enjoyed a 3-0 win against Ukraine in their opener and they started the second half brightly, with Dennis Man and Valentin Mihăilă spurning chances. Lukaku then had a goal ruled out for offside while at the other end, Wolfsburg's Casteels made a crucial save to deny Man. The custodian would have one more big part to play, with a long punt upfield landing perfectly for former Wolfsburg man Kevin De Bruyne, who slid home to reignite Belgium's tournament.
Watch: the best of Wolfsburg and Belgium's Koen Casteels