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Key events
84 minutes: It looks like every team in this group will end the second leg with a win. The last day should be fun.
Romania look tired here and Belgium make the most of it. Trossard runs free down the right and has De Bruyne in the middle, but his cross goes straight out of play.
82 minutes: Alibec is for Romania as they must. Romania won a corner and sent it at the back post, but Belgium got enough bodies in the way to clear.
Belgium break through to Carrasco, who finds Trossard on the right. The Arsenal man looked set to shoot but instead looked for Lukaku, allowing Romania to clear.
“For me, the interesting part about set-piece decisions being so tight is not the fancy graphics showing exactly where the two players are relative to each other, but how accurate they can be when the ball is kicked.” says Neil Way. “Certainly no freeze-frame can be completely accurate about this, even taking into account the fact that the foot is probably in contact for at least several frames, not just one.” It seems like a completely bogus level of accuracy.
GOAL! Belgium 2-0 Romania (De Bruyne, 80)
De Bruyne chases down a long ball over the top from Casteels and beats Nita, who is injured in the process, to score. VAR does not intervene.
79 minutes: Hagi is popping up all over the pitch but is yet to make a big impact. He has torn his shirt somehow and thinks that deserves a free kick.
78 minutes: Romania need another big push here. They had some half-decent chances, but their finishes were poor.
Debast is for Theate.
76 minutes: Teate calls the bench to be replaced. It looks like his race is done.
“Is Lukaku about to set a record for most VAR disallowed goals at a major tournament?” asks Jim Rogers. You have to assume it is. That’s three for Lukaku FYI.
74 minutes: Belgium is doing everything possible to slow down the game and Romania down. It was a thrilling game, especially the second half when the Romanians could attack more.
72 minutes: Romania put Belgium under pressure. Can they last or find a second one?
Mangala is in for Tielemans and Carrasco is in for Doku.
70 minutes: Doku is having more fun on the left, I’m looking forward to it Ratiu will soon begin to suffer from cramps. He sends in another cross but it is cleared.
We finally saw a replay of the disallowed goal and Lukaku actually had a layer of ambush. Amazing.
“They have fantastic players but Belgium they were so unbelievably wasteful at the door’ says Oliver Cardon. “It’s hard to see them going far in the tournament or any tournament with Lukaku up front. Time for Pep’s no-attack tactics!”
68 minutes: De Bruyne hits a shot well over the bar.
At the other end… The man goes through the goal and should score, but Castiels comes out to narrow the angle and blocks.
Marius Marin and Mihăilă off; Hagi and Olaru ahead
66 minutes: Romania buoyed by the disallowed goal, go down the other end and look to have a good chance but Belgium slip it away. We have yet to see a repeat of the goalless draw.
Lukaku spins in the box and takes a shot that looks destined for goal, but Nita blocks it.
NO PURPOSE! Belgium 1-0 Romania
VAR ruled him offside. It must have been tight.
GOAL! Belgium 2-0 Romania (Lukaku, 64)
A lovely pass from De Bruyne and a perfect finish.
63 minutes: Doku does some of his trademark dribbling and trickery to get into the box and ends up firing from a tight angle but can only hit the side netting.
Torches in the stands and lots of jumping fans in yellow. It seems lively in Cologne.
I see we’re getting hot puns.
@Will_Unwin It feels like Iordanescu should get more out of this Romania team considering they have a D Man up front.
— Mango Jenkins (@FunsoBanlow) June 22, 2024
62 minutes: Trossard receives a long throw-in near the line and turns to cross for Lukaku, but a yellow shirt clears the ball before the shot can be taken.
60 mins: YELLOW CARD! Banku receives a warning for a foul against Trosar.
59 minutes: Romania gives Belgium the ball in the center circle and Lukaku takes the lead at the break. De Bruyne controls the ball from the edge of the box but his cross is too much for Doku, who collects as he watches rockets being hurled at him. Romania force Belgium back but take a free kick. The standard finds Lukaku but Nita is equal to him.
57 minutes: Trossard is in place of Lukebacchio.
Romania look lively in the final third, but it’s another terrible finish from Mihaila, who sends the ball high and wide.
55 minutes: Vertonghen fires a clearance downfield and is caught by a follow-up pass from Dragus. It’s given as a foul, but overall it’s not that bad.
De Bruyne gets another chance, curling a low shot from 20 yards, but Nita gets down smartly and holds on.
53 minutes: Romania doing their best to double-team Doku to stop him from using his fast pace. He is a bit slowed by an injury and needs treatment.
What they cannot forget is that De Bruyne is even better. He receives the ball about 25 yards from goal, takes a touch and looks to curl it into the far corner, but his shot goes just wide.
51 minutes: After a slow start to the half, Belgium take a few minutes to find their feet. Doku is released down the left and flicks a dangerous cross over Nita, but no one in red can reach it.
49 minutes: Another great chance for Romania as Mihăilă leads the charge up the pitch, but he takes a poor touch as he enters the box, pushing the ball wide before firing a shot well over the bar.
Andy Flintoff has done some real research: “Belgium will only have to be drawn against a team in dark shirts (and be the ‘away’ side) as I think UEFA have made the decision that every match in this tournament will be played between ‘dark shirts’ and ‘light shirts’ for easier differentiation. Of course, I could be wrong about that.”
47 minutes: Bright start to the half for Romania as Man breaks in from the right and takes a shot at goal but it’s straight at Casteels.
“Wout Faes looks like the love child of Michael Bolton and Kenny G,” Russell Brady claims. “I like his smooth jazz stylings in the back.”
Second half
Here we go again!
Portugal looks decent.
“Is it childish to hope for that Belgium qualify from the group only to be able to face another team playing in red and have to wear their Tintin armband?’ asks David Wall.
No.
Half time: Belgium 1-0 Romania
It was a very good half of football in Cologne. Belgium will be irritated by the fact that they only have a one goal lead. Romania have defended well and are certainly still at it.
45 minutes: Burka heads in for a corner and looks upset with himself for the miss.
One minute added.
“Belgium cannot afford to relax” Krishna insists. “Romania’s reserves include Puskas and Hagi.”
Unfortunately, they are not clones.
44 minutes: De Bruyne receives a pass from Lukebacchio just inside the box. He takes aim but the shot is too weak and Nita swallows it.
42 minutes: “Lukaku isn’t great anymore, is he?” suggests Alex Gemmell. “It looks like they’re using him as a statue to play with, but he was weak in the first game and looks limited again here.”
Holds the ball decently but doesn’t look clinical when given the chance.
40 minutes: Faes tries to hold off Dragus as he tries to reach a cross, the defender doesn’t do his job perfectly, giving the Romanian a chance, but Castells gets it under control just in time.
“Romania’s number 20 looks a shrewd player,” says Peter O. “If I was Belgium protector, I would do my best to stick to the Man.”
38 minutes: The man decides passing isn’t the future and the next time he gets the ball he bursts in from the right and curls a left-footed shot into the bottom corner, but Castells is equal.
At the other end, Onana sends Lukebakio through, but Romania’s defenders chase him down, winning the ball back into the box before he can shoot. However, Belgium win a corner. This leads to nothing.
36 mins: YELLOW CARD! Lukebacchio will be eliminated from the final group game after a cynical challenge against Dragus.
Romania produced their best move of the game, but it ended when Mann’s pass failed to find a team-mate in the box. At least some promising signs.
34 minutes: That’s very peak De Bruyne out there tonight. He wants the ball at every opportunity and his feet are dazzling in yellow. He is still the key man for his country.
That is all Belgium still and Lukebacchio is the last to have a chance but his effort from 18 yards is deflected.
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