Belgium were beaten by Slovakia in their opening group game of UEFA Euro 2024, and they will look to bounce back strongly when they face Romania.
Domenico Tedesco will demand a strong performance from Belgium vs Romania, and it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can bounce back strongly. On paper, Belgium are a far better team, and they will be the favourites heading into this game.
With that said, Tedesco’s charges were the favourites against Slovakia as well, but they failed to get the job done. Meanwhile, Romania were outstanding against Ukraine, and they managed to score three goals against them.
They will take advantage of Belgium’s vulnerabilities and pull off an upset here. Romania put on a free-flowing attacking display against Ukraine, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to take a similar approach against Belgium here.
Team News & Tactics
Belgium
Thomas Meunier is the only injury worry for Belgium here, and they should be able to field a full-strength lineup apart from that. Koen Casteels will start in goal for Belgium vs Romania in a 4-2-3-1 for formation.
Timothy Castagne and Maxim De Cuyper will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Wout Faes will form the central defensive unit alongside Axel Witsel.
As for the midfield unit, Orel Mangala will start alongside Amadou Onana in the double pivot. They will look to shield the back four and break up opposition attacks. Kevin De Bruyne will feature as the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third.
De Bruyne will also look to link the midfield with the attack. Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard will start in the wide areas. The two players will look to add goals and creativity from the flanks. Romelu Lukaku struggled to make his mark against Slovakia, and he will be eager to bounce back strongly vs Romania when he leads the line for Belgium.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Casteels; Castagne, Faes, Witsel, De Cuyper; Mangala, Onana; Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard; Lukaku
Romania
Romania do not have any injury problems heading into this game, and they will look to field a full-strength side here. Florin Nita will start in goal, and Romania will shape up in a 4-1-4-1 formation vs Belgium.
Andrei Ratiu and Nicusor Bancu will start as the fullbacks. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help out during transitions. Radu Dragusin will start at the heart of the defence alongside Andrei Burca.
Razvan Marin will start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to protect the central defenders and win the ball back for his side. Dennis Man and Florinel Coman will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace, flair, and creativity from the wide areas.
Nicolae Stanciu and Marius Marin will start as the advanced central midfielders, and they will look to add creativity and composure to the side from the central areas. Denis Dragus will look to continue his impressive run of form, and he will lead the line for Romania here.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Nita; Ratiu, Dragusin, Burca, Bancu; Razvan Marin; Man, Stanciu, Marius Marin, Coman; Dragus
Key Stats
- Romania have picked up just one one from the last five matches.
- Belgium are unbeaten in four of the last five matches.
- Out of the 12 meetings between these two sides, both teams have won five each.
- Belgium have lost just once in their last 16 matches.
Player to Watch
Kevin De Bruyne
The veteran midfielder is one of the best players in the world, and he is coming into the tournament on the back of an exceptional season with Manchester City. Belgium will need him to step up and deliver if they want to do well in the remainder of the European Championships.
The Manchester City playmaker is undoubtedly one of the best passers in the game, and his ability to fashion out chances could prove to be crucial. De Bruyne is our key player to watch out for, and he could make a defining impact in the final third.
Prediction
Belgium 1-1 Romania
Belgium were quite disappointing in their opening game and they will have to improve immensely in order to grind out a positive result here. On the other hand, Romania will be quite upbeat about their chances here after an impressive performance in the opening game.
Both teams will be desperate for all three points and they are likely to cancel each other out. A goalscoring draw seems quite likely between the two teams. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between Belgium and Romania.
