In a gripping Group E match at the European Championship, Belgium suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat against Slovakia on Monday, leaving fans and players alike stunned.
The game saw Slovakia take an early lead in the seventh minute through forward Ivan Schranz. Despite Belgium's aggressive plays, including two second-half strikes by their record scorer Romelu Lukaku, the goals were overturned by VAR after initial approval by the match officials.
Belgium's playmaker, Kevin De Bruyne, had numerous opportunities to equalize, but none could break through Slovakia's steadfast defense. Defender David Hancko made a heroic goal-line block to preserve the victory for Slovakia, even sustaining a facial injury in the process.
As the final whistle blew, the Slovakia team celebrated their well-deserved win in front of a roaring crowd of 45,181 at the Waldstadion, with \"Freed From Desire\" playing as their victory anthem.
Midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, named Man of the Match, expressed his pride, saying, \"This win means a lot, not just for me, but the whole Slovak nation. Maybe not everyone has believed in us.\"
Belgium's coach, Domenico Tedesco, remained gracious despite the loss, stating, \"I want to be at least a good, fair loser. We trust these guys [match officials]. We just have to accept it.\"
Lukaku, who set a competition record with 14 goals in the qualifying group last year and holds Belgium's all-time record with 85 goals, was unable to find the net despite his impressive track record.
Tedesco praised Lukaku's character and skills, saying, \"He's a top-class player, a great character. He's been playing for Belgium for a long time and he knows very well how to score goals.\"
Reference(s):
Belgium stunned by Slovakia with VAR denying Lukaku twice at Euro 2024
cgtn.com
