Rated as the number 1 candidate for a ticket to the knockout stage of EURO 2024, but the shocking loss to Slovakia has put Belgium in a difficult situation. Now, their task is to secure a victory against Romania in the 2nd match on June 23 if they want to control their own destiny.
First half match prediction for Belgium vs Romania
Among the EURO 2024 championship candidates playing in the first round, the Belgian national team can be considered the most disappointing. While other giants may not have played convincingly, at least they did not come away empty-handed like the team of coach Domenico Tedesco. The loss to Slovakia did not end Belgium’s chances of advancing, but the 90 minutes at Deutsche Bank Park revealed many issues. Most notably, the performance of Romelu Lukaku in the number 9 position, as the player had a disastrous game, with unbelievable misses and 2 disallowed goals. Despite being the most outstanding striker of Belgium in terms of class, the question for this forward is psychological, whether a mentally weak player can play sensibly in an important match. On the bench, Coach Tedesco still has Lois Openda for the forward position and he can definitely consider replacing Lukaku. In addition, the positions of Trossard and Doku should be reconsidered to optimize the abilities of both. In the midfield, Tielemans is likely to start in place of Mangala to enhance the attacking power against Romania from the beginning. In a must-win situation, facing a team in good form like Romania can sometimes be… fortunate for Belgium. The tricolor team has just triumphed over Ukraine and is still full of spirit to welcome the Red Devils, however, Romania’s romantic playing style in the opening match could completely backfire when facing Belgium. Big teams like Belgium struggle against disciplined low-blocks, while they thrive in open play, making it favorable for them to organize attacking plays. That’s why Coach Edward Iordanescu needs to plan a suitable playing style for his players in this match to avoid falling into the Red Devils’ game. The first half will witness a strong attacking presence from the Belgian team because only by scoring early can the red-shirted team avoid the risks faced in the match against Slovakia. This will set the stage for the appearance of corner kicks on Romania’s side, and fans can put their trust in Belgium’s first-half corner kick handicap bet. Prediction: Belgium to win first-half corner kicks, Over first-half corner kicks
Full match prediction for Belgium vs Romania
In the second half of the match, fans at the RheinEnergieStadion and those watching through screens will witness how uncomfortable Romania can be, just like they showed against Ukraine, and it’s likely that Stanciu and his teammates will not hesitate to demonstrate that against the Belgian national team, having already gained 3 points as a cushion and a low chance of elimination. The Belgian national team possesses an impressive attack and midfield, but the defense is a weak point with players of average and mid-level class, which Romania can exploit. Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates may have to take risks to attack wholeheartedly, as they no longer have a clear path to advance after the opening match loss.
In an open and attractive match between two teams playing with freedom, fans can refer to the EURO betting guide to place their trust in the over goals bet, even though the number is quite high, up to 2.5/3. The head-to-head history between Belgium and Romania also supports this assessment, with 3 out of 5 matches between the two teams having 3 or more goals.
In addition, fans can also choose “Yes” for the Both Teams to Score bet for the entire match. The Belgium national team was goalless against Slovakia, alongside Lukaku’s lack of luck, but their attacking strategies are still relatively stable. Meanwhile, Romania’s open style of play may capitalize on a momentary mistake by the Belgian defense at some point.
Prediction: Over goals FT, Both Teams to Score – Yes
Read more thrilling articles predicting Euro 2024: Predicting the match between Czech Republic and Georgia on the evening of 22/06: Nurturing hopes of advancing
