Belgium 0-1 Slovakia: Player ratings for the Red Devils as wasteful Lukaku denied twice by VAR | UEFA Euro 2024
Belgium went down 0-1 to Slovakia in their opening game of the UEFA Euro 2024 on Monday, June 17. Ivan Schranz netted the only goal of the game in the seventh minute following a defensive error by the Red Devils, who failed to recover from the deficit.
In the opening stanza, Domenico Tedesco's side saw two chances go begging through Romelu Lukaku. He first shot right at Martin Dubravka and then made a heavy touch when he was one-on-one with the Slovakian custodian.
Ranked third in the world, Belgium continued to push for an equalizer in the second half and had the ball in the back of the net twice, only for VAR to rule it out each time.
For the first one, Lukaku was offside as he tapped one from point-blank range, while Lois Openda was found guilty of a handball in the build-up to their second goal.
Against all the odds, Slovakia secured a historic victory, one that puts them in a good position to reach the knockout stages. Meanwhile, it's back to the drawing board for Belgium, who play Romania in their next game on Saturday.
Here are the player ratings for Belgium:
Koen Casteels - 6/10
The Belgian custodian had a busier game than he would have expected, as Slovakia didn't give him a moment's rest. He also played his part in their seventh-minute goal, as Casteels squared the ball straight at Schranz while desperately trying to parry the original shot away.
Timothy Castagne - 7/10
His five clearances demonstrate an excellent reading of the game while making one vital interception too. Castagne's passing was top notch too, completing 92 percent of them.
Wout Faes - 7/10
Positionally aware and composed in the face of the Slovakian onslaught, Faes turned in a good shift in defense. He made three clearances and tackles each while blocking one shot.
Zeno Debast - 7/10
The 20-year-old perfectly complimented Faes at the heart of their backline with a resolute display. He didn't give Slovakian forwards enough space to work into and sent in several long balls to transition his side from defense into attack.
Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco - 6.5/10
Carrasco wasn't the most eye-catching player but silently played his part in keeping Slovakia at bay after their opening goal.
Orel Mangala - 5/10
Besides his immaculate passing, Mangala had little else to show for his efforts: zero clearances, zero blocks, zero interceptions, and zero long balls. A complete non-factor.
Amadou Onana - 7/10
The Everton midfielder's ball-winning capabilities were key to igniting attacking moments for Belgium. His aerial prowess was there for all to see too, as Onana won all four duels.
Jeremy Doku - 7.5/10
A livewire on the flanks, Doku was Belgium's best player of the evening. His teammates always looked to pass it out to him and hoped he would have something up his sleeves, and for the most part, the winger certainly did.
Kevin De Bruyne - 8/10
The Manchester City ace was the creative inspiration for Belgium once again, making line-breaking passes and connecting their attacking plays with stupendous link-ups. He made four key passes and six crosses, but alas, none of that came to fruition today.
Leandro Trossard - 7/10
He kept bustling up and down the pitch like a bull in a China shop, but things didn't always break for him. The Arsenal man made one key pass and three crosses, while also seeing a shot blocked in the second half.
Romelu Lukaku - 6/10
A game of missed chances for Lukaku, as the AS Roma hitman spurned two glorious opportunities to score in the opening stanza. On the two occasions when he did have the ball in the back of the net, both were ruled out - first for an offside, and then for a handball in the build-up by Openda.
Substitutes
Johan Bakayoko - 7/10
An encouraging display in attack by the substitute, who also saw an effort cleared off the line by David Hancko.
Youri Tielemens - 6/10
He was thrown in to boost Belgium's offense but Tielemens struggled to impose himself in the match.
Dodi Lukebakio - 5/10
The forward was barely involved even as Belgium were desperately looking for an equalizer.
Lois Openda - 6/10
He appeared to have set up Lukaku for an equalizer in the 86th minute but was penalized for a handball in the buildup.