A objective by Youri Tielemans after 73 seconds and a late one for Kevin De Bruyne gave Belgium a 2-0 win over Romania in an unimaginable sport filled with possibilities on Saturday that arrange a last spherical showdown with all 4 groups in Group E on three factors.
It was a Saturday evening particular performed in an astonishing environment in Cologne, with the one thriller being how there have been solely two objectives.
All outcomes are actually accessible on the ultimate evening of matches when Belgium play Ukraine and Slovakia play Romania, when 4 factors could possibly be sufficient to high the group however might additionally see a crew eradicated.
Belgium, nonetheless in some way ranked third on this planet by FIFA, had been unrecognisable from the sluggish facet shocked by Slovakia of their opening sport, pouring ahead and filled with vitality from the primary whistle.
It paid dividends instantly as Romelu Lukaku held up the ball along with his again to objective earlier than rolling it into the trail of Tielemans, who drilled residence a crisp, low shot.
4 minutes later Romania went shut with a header by Radu Dragusin that Koen Casteels saved effectively, but it surely was a short respite as Belgium ran the first-half present.
Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Photographs
Dodi Lukebakio’s fierce shot was effectively saved by Florin Nita after a trademark carving run by De Bruyne, whereas Lukebakio and Amadou Onana each blazed over when free in entrance of objective.
It appeared solely a matter of time earlier than they scored once more, however Romania weathered the storm and, figuring out how they struck so devastatingly on the counter to beat Ukraine, didn’t panic.
Their followers definitely stayed behind them, serving to create an incredible environment as noise rained down from all 4 stands.
The waves of Belgian assaults continued although, as Jérémy Doku fizzed a cross inches from Lukaku’s head, De Bruyne curled one simply previous a put up then had one other shot smothered by Nita.
Lukaku thought he had acquired the second after an hour slotting residence confidently from a De Bruyne by way of ball, just for VAR to rule it out for offside — 5 days after he had two objectives chalked off towards Slovakia.
The unimaginable end-to-end motion continued with Dennis Man clear by way of for Romania solely to shoot wastefully straight at Casteels after which, extremely, it was the Belgian keeper who arrange the second objective 10 minutes from time with a Sunday league route one objective.
He launched a objective kick that evaded everybody and the ever-switched on De Bruyne seized on it to tuck the ball residence for what might show a priceless objective ought to the calculators be wanted to separate the groups subsequent week.