Group E of the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024) concluded dramatically, with Romania emerging as the top team ahead of Belgium. Romania and Belgium both finished with four points and the same goal difference, but Romania scored two more goals than Belgium (5 vs 3). Slovakia and Ukraine also finished with four points each, but Slovakia secured third place due to their superior goal difference (0 vs -2) over Ukraine, who unfortunately exited the tournament despite accumulating the same number of points as the other three teams.
Romania Tops EURO 2024 Group E With 1-1 Draw Against Slovakia
After a convincing 3-0 victory over Ukraine in their first match, Romania needed only a draw to advance from Group E. They started strong and had their first scoring opportunity in the 11th minute when right-back Andrei Ratiu took a shot that was saved by Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Slovakia broke the deadlock in the 24th minute with a superb cross from Juraj Kucka and a well-timed header from Ondrej Duda. However, Romania equalized 13 minutes later with a penalty converted by Razvan Marin after a foul by Slovakia’s David Hancko. Both teams had chances in the second half but failed to find a winning goal.
Belgium Held to Draw By Ukraine
Following a disappointing loss to Slovakia in their opening match, Belgium bounced back with a 2-0 win over Romania. With a positive goal difference, Belgium only needed a draw against Ukraine to advance to the Round of 16. Despite this, Belgium aimed for a victory in their final group match.
Belgium had early chances, including a missed opportunity by Romelu Lukaku in the seventh minute. Ukraine also had a great chance in the 74th minute, but Wout Faes made a crucial block to deny them. The match ended goalless, securing a second-place finish for Belgium and setting up a clash with France in the next round.
