Final Group Stage Drama at Euro 2024: Slovakia and Romania Face Off in Frankfurt as Ukraine Meets Belgium in Stuttgart

Slovakia and Romania will battle it out in the last group match of the UEFA Euro 2024 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt on Wednesday, June 26. Both the teams have three points from two games in the group. Slovakia began their campaign with a narrow win over Belgium, but last week, they went down 2-1 against Ukraine. Ivan Schranz scored in the second consecutive game for Slovakia, but Ukraine scored two goals in the second half to give Slovakia their first loss in the competition.

Romania also began with a strong performance, winning 3-0 against Ukraine. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find the net in their second match and suffered a 2-0 loss to Belgium last week. A win for either Slovakia or Romania will secure their place in the Round of 16, possibly as group winners. 

If the match ends in a draw and Belgium vs Ukraine has a clear winner, Romania will advance to the knockouts. The two teams have met 11 times before, with Romania leading the series 5-1. This will be their first competitive meeting in the 21st century, as their last four encounters were friendlies, three of which ended in draws.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Ukraine and Belgium will face off in their last group match at the MHPArena in Stuttgart. This game is crucial for both teams as both knockout stage spots in Group E are still up for grabs. Each team in the group has three points, so a win is crucial for advancing to the next round.

Ukraine started their campaign with a disappointing 3-0 loss to Romania but managed to bounce back with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Slovakia. Mykola Shaparenko scored the equalizer in the 54th minute, and Roman Yaremchuk, who came off the bench, netted the winning goal ten minutes before the end. 

Belgium, on the other hand, faced an unexpected 1-0 loss to Slovakia but recovered with a 2-0 win against Romania. Two minutes into the game, Youri Tielemans scored, but the captain Kevin De Bruyne delivered another goal in the 80th minute securing the win. One of the teams will go through to the knockouts as a result of this match. If both matches see a draw, the team going through to the next round will be determined by goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head ones.