Belgium and Romania will meet for the first time in a major tournament. This is their first meeting since a friendly match in Bucharest in November 2012 – Romania won 2-1.
The face-to-face between Belgium and Romania is perfectly balanced with five victories each and two draws. Belgium have only one victory in their last five matches against Romania in recent times (D1 L3), a 2-1 friendly victory in November 2011.
Belgium are looking to avoid losing their first two UEFA European Championship matches for the first time. They last did so at a major tournament in 1930, at the first World Cup.
After their 3-0 victory on the first day of this year’s UEFA European Championship, Romania could win two matches in the same major tournament (World Cup/EURO) for only the third time after the World Cup. of 1994 (3 victories) and 1998 (2 victories). Cup finals.
After a run of 13 wins in 14 group stage matches at major tournaments (L1 – World Cup/EURO), Belgium has since gone three such matches without a win (1 draw, 2 losses) for the first time since a series of four matches during EURO 2000. and World Cup 2002 (D2 L2).
Romania recorded its biggest victory in its history at a major tournament (World Cup/EURO) on the first day against Ukraine (3-0), EURO 2024 being already the second time that the Tricolores score more than 3 goals in a single UEFA European Championship out of their six total. such campaigns (also EURO 2000 – 4 goals).
Romania’s 29% possession against Ukraine on MD1 was the lowest share ever recorded by a winning team (since 1980) in a single UEFA European Championship match. Despite this, she faced just two shots on target, her fewest in a major tournament match. since EURO 2008 against France (1).
Belgium failed to score in three consecutive matches at a major tournament (World Cup/EURO) for the first time ever (74 matches) – in those scoreless matches, the Red Devils recorded 42 shots and 11 shots on target out of an expected goal figure. of 5.7.
Nine of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku’s 11 goals at the UEFA European Championship and World Cup have come in the group stage, including three at EURO 2020; however, he may fail to score in consecutive starts at a major tournament for the first time since the 2018 World Cup (4 in a row).
Dennis Man scored twice in MD1 against Ukraine to become the first Romanian to provide multiple assists in a UEFA European Championship match; since the appointment of Romanian coach Edward Iordănescu in January 2022, Man is his country’s co-top scorer (4 goals) and co-top assists (4 assists).
