Belgium vs Romania | Saturday 22 June | Cologne Stadium | 21:00
Belgium and Romania clash at Cologne Stadium on Saturday, 22 June, at 21:00, with both teams seeking crucial points in this European Championship encounter. Belgium, coming off a disappointing opening-round defeat to Slovakia, are determined to advance beyond their usual quarter-final finishes. Romania, buoyed by a decisive victory over Ukraine, aim to continue their strong start and secure a spot in the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
To Win (90)
Belgium 9/20
Draw 34/10
Romania 58/10
Belgium
Belgium will aspire to better their quarter-final appearances of the last two European Championships but an opening-round defeat versus Slovakia will make life much more difficult.
The Red Devils wasted numerous opportunities to level their 1-0 defeat, but it was two interventions from VAR that prevented Domenico Tedesco from extending his unbeaten record as head coach to 15 games. A total of 10 victories and four draws were recorded since February 2023, with Belgium having not lost since its defeat to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup.
Romelu Lukaku had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside call before he was denied again with just four minutes left in the fixture.
Romania
Taking part in a sixth European Championship – and first since 2016, when they finished bottom of their group with just one point – Romania are intent on progressing to the knockout phase this summer. Having recorded their second-ever win at a Euro Champs after smashing Ukraine 3-0 in the opening match a first-ever progress might be on the cards if they can avoid defeat.
With three points on the board, Romania will probably require one more positive result to ensure that they feature in the knockout stages of the Euros for only the second time in their history.
Prediction: Belgium Win (9/20)
Romania’s defensive solidarity should work magic against an already frustrated Belgium, but not playing higher up the pitch will open the door for players like Lukaku and De Bruyne to combine.
Written by Joshua Gaillard