Belgium 2–0 Romania
by Layth Yousif
from Cologne Stadium

BELGIUM finally ignited their tournament after beating valiant Romania 2-0 on a raucous Saturday evening in Cologne.

Powered by an outstanding performance by the game’s best player, Kevin De Bruyne, the Red Devils leapt from bottom of the tightly packed Group F before kick-off to top spot, after this pulsating match played in front of a cacophonous crowd in northern Germany.

Youri Tielemans fired home after 73 seconds to put Belgium ahead, following powerful hold up play by Romelu Lukaku to prompt raucous scenes at the Mungersdorf.

Domenico Tedesco’s side dominated throughout, despite their opponents battling hard to stay in the game, while also creating — and fluffing chances of their own — before De Bruyne sealed victory by doubling the Belgian’s lead with only 11 minutes remaining.

Nearly 46,000 fans were treated to an attacking clash at an atmospheric Cologne Stadium, with the majority resplendent in either yellow for Romania or red and yellow for Belgium.

Romania were backed by more than 25,000 travelling fans, and many gave the centre of this fine old city — including around the iconic twin spires of Cologne’s beguiling 12th century cathedral — more than a splash of colour, noise and joie de vivre.

In an enthralling opening, Edward Iordanescu’s side went close moments later when former Juventus youngster Radu Dragusin’s header was tipped over by Belgium keeper Koen Casteels.

However, Belgium, who started the match rock bottom of Group E after Tedesco’s side lost their opening match 1-0 to Slovakia, dominated the first half, which included forcing an early goal.

Influential Aston Villa midfielder Tielemans robbed Romania, before feeding Lukaku who played the ball to Jeremy Doku. The City wideman returned the favour for Lukaku to tee up Tielemans, who made no mistake with a sublime long-range finish to put the Red Devils 1-0 up in under two minutes.

Manchester City pair Doku and De Bruyne dovetailed excellently along the left channel in the opening stages, before De Bruyne dropped deep, even switching flanks at one stage, in a bid to bamboozle the backline in receiving the ball in unexpected areas.

In truth though, everywhere you looked Belgium possessed quality, threatening constantly, prompted by the powerful play on and off the ball from Everton’s Amadou Onana to set up Sevilla’s 26-year-old wideman Dodi Lukebakio.

Lukebakio, who was later booked, then subbed after Tedesco said the player picked up a small muscular complaint, forced Wolfsburg’s Saudi bound-keeper Casteels into another save.

With the peerless operator De Bruyne dropping deeper to receive the ball, the Romania backline absorbed punishment like a boxer on the ropes — was it unsurprising Tredesco’s side had 67 per cent possession in the first half — but with each passing redoubt, the Romanian players were cheered to the rafters by their vociferous fans at the other end of the stadium.

The tens of thousands clad in yellow making a constant noise, and at one stage unfurled a large banner that read: “Pentru Tara Si Tricolori” — For the Country and the Three Colours — as if to underline solidarity between the fans and Iordanescu’s side.

But survive the onslaught they did, to the point Andrei Burca headed over when well-placed moments before the interval, with many in yellow unsure to be relieved the score was only 1-0 in arrears, or frustrated they weren’t level.  

Iordanescu’s side started the second half brightly, with Dennis Man — who Tedesco praised afterwards, saying the attacker was “dangerous” — forcing a save from Casteels. Shortly afterwards, Romania broke again, sweeping upfield through 24-year-old Valentin Mihalia. Yet, as the leftwinger drove into the box, his shot lacked conviction and the chance was lost.

Lukaku put the ball into the net on 64 minutes after latching onto an exquisite through-ball by De Bruyne, but VAR ruled the strike out — the third time the former Chelsea striker has had a goal ruled out during this tournament.

As if to cap his luck, Lukaku then had a chance saved by veteran Romanian keeper Florin Nita.

In a crucial moment, for Iordanescu’s team, many Romanian journalists around this correspondent in the Cologne press box stood up as Man ran through on goal. But the 25-year-old Parma winger hesitated momentarily as Belgium keeper Casteels blocked — leaving the Romanian journalists to throw their arms into the air in despair at spurning such a chance, along with tens of thousands of their equally frustrated compatriots massed in the stands.

Determined to seal the match, De Bruyne showed power and determination as he successfully battled to latch onto a long ball from Red Devils keeper Casteels to double the lead on 79 minutes, breaking Romanian hearts, as Belgium got back on track.

In a microcosm of what makes De Bruyne just so good was watching the 32-year-old — who’ll be 33 before the end of this month — racing nearly half the pitch at full sprint with only moments remaining to get on the end of substitute Leandro Trossard’s cross. The ball ultimately flew over rendering such effort fruitless, but the run underlined De Bruyne’s conviction and work ethic. Such determination and hard work from one so talented separates the great from the merely good.

Speaking after the match with the clock well beyond midnight in a post-match press conference attended by the Morning Star, boss Tedesco said ominously: “We are [now] released and ready for the rest of the tournament,” adding: “If you see the quality and quantity of chances we created in these two games scoring four or five was possible.”

Belgium now have the chance to land a place in the last 16 when they face Ukraine in their final group game on Wednesday, while brave Romania still have hope.