In a surprising turn of events, Slovakia secured a memorable victory over Group E favourites Belgium in their Euro 2024 opener.
The Slovaks capitalised on defensive errors to win 1-0 in a dramatic match that saw two Belgian goals disallowed by VAR.
The only goal of the match came from Ivan Schranz, who took advantage of a mistake by Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku to give Slovakia the lead.
Belgium, ranked third in the world, struggled to convert numerous chances, with several falling to their all-time top scorer, Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku had two goals disallowed by VAR, one for handball and another for offside, adding to his and his team’s frustration.
Belgium dominated possession and created multiple scoring opportunities but were repeatedly thwarted by a resilient Slovak defense. A notable moment came when substitute Johan Bakayoko’s effort was cleared off the line by David Hancko.
Doku, despite his earlier error, showcased his attacking prowess with a spectacular run, but Belgium’s finishing woes persisted. Key players like Kevin de Bruyne and Leandro Trossard also failed to find the back of the net, with Trossard curling a shot over the bar after a poor clearance from Slovakia’s goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Slovakia had their moments too, with Lukas Haraslin forcing a save from Koen Casteels and narrowly missing the target on another occasion.
Belgium, who had an underwhelming performance at the 2022 World Cup, will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face Romania, who defeated Ukraine 3-0 in their opening match. Slovakia, buoyed by their unexpected victory, will take on Ukraine in their next fixture.
As the Euro 2024 group stage progresses, Belgium will aim to recover and live up to their pre-tournament expectations, while Slovakia will look to build on their perfect start.
