Slovakia stun Belgium with Ivan Schranz scoring early goal in Euro 2024

Ivan Schranz gave his side an early lead inside the 10-minute mark.

The second match of Group E action saw Juggernauts Belgium contest a fierce battle against Minnows Slovakia in a proper David vs. Goliath affair at the Frankfurt Arena.

The favourites Belgium started the match in expected fashion as Romelu Lukaku’s shot was saved by Dubravka, failing to capitalize on the opportunity that could have given his side an early 1-0 lead in their opening fixture.

The missed chance soon came to haunt Belgium, as a horror show at the back gave Slovakia a shock lead in the 7th minute of the game. Winger Ivan Schranz’s rebound effort from the tightest of angles gave Calzona’s side something to hold on to for the rest of the match. Both teams created decent chances throughout, bringing the end to an entertaining half of football.

Following a frantic first half, the Red Devils hoped to regroup and bounce back in the second half. They mounted constant pressure on Slovakia‘s defensive structure, and in the 56th minute, Belgium felt they had finally levelled the game via Lukaku, but after a VAR check, the goal was disallowed for a borderline offside call.

Saves, off-the-line clearances and disallowed goals started to become a pattern of the match as Belgium were unable to unlock their opposition and come back into the game. The midfield block of Lobotka and Duda, along with the robust defensive backline of Hancko, Škriniar and Dubravka, proved to be overwhelming even for the Red Devils to overcome.

Also read: Top five youngest players to feature in UEFA Euro history

The substitutions too could not bring about an instant impact off the bench, as the resolute Slovakian unit overcame the mammoth Belgium test in flying colours with a historic 1-0 win.

With this opening game triumph, Slovakia go second in the Group E table, level on points with table-toppers Romania. On the other hand, Belgium have a lot of rethinking and reshaping to do with their game plan and tactics going into their next game against in-form Romania.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.