Romania and Slovakia continue
There is no “shame”, but the result is still good
26.06.2024, 19:55
On the last matchday of Group E, Slovakia and Romania actually produced the result that was enough for both teams to advance. However, the “shame” feared due to the special circumstances did not materialize.
No ball pushing, a draw and two winners: Slovakia and Romania have advanced to the round of 16 of the European Football Championship with a 1:1 (1:1) draw on the last day of the preliminary round of Group E. Both teams achieved exactly the result they needed to advance in Frankfurt, where oppressive heat was followed by a violent storm.
In a game that was lively for the most part, former Bundesliga professional Ondrej Duda put Slovakia in the lead in the 24th minute. For the Romanians, Razvan Marin (37th) equalized with a penalty after a controversial decision by the video assistant. Slovakia and Romania thus advanced to the knockout phase for the second time in the history of the European Championship.
Round of 16 opponents not yet determined
Due to the 0-0 draw in the parallel match between Belgium and Ukraine, Slovakia is in third place in the group and will therefore face Spain or England in the round of 16. Romania’s opponent as group winners will also only be decided after this evening’s matches in Group F. Slovenia or the Netherlands are possible candidates.
The signs before the match were clear: a draw was enough for both teams to advance to the round of 16. Before the duel between the two outsiders, there was already speculation about a repeat of the shame of Gijón at the 1982 World Cup, when Austria and Germany agreed to a non-aggression pact in order to advance.
In the run-up to the match, both teams wanted to know nothing about this strange constellation. “We are professionals. We know that a draw could help us to advance. But that doesn’t mean anything,” said Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona. And Romania coach Edward Iordanescu explained: “We will play to advance and want to finish this group in first place. Then you have a certain advantage in terms of recovery days and the opponent.”
Brave teams instead of a repeat of Gijón
Both teams put their words into action and played boldly forward in the opening phase. Spurred on by the many loud Romanian fans, Andrei Ratiu had the first chance. However, the shot from the man with the blue-dyed hair was blocked by Martin Dubravka in the Slovakian goal. The rebound was put over the goal by Ianis Hagi. The son of former football star Gheorghe Hagi played from the start for the first time at this European Championship.
Afterwards, the Slovakians also became dangerous in attack. A tricky free kick from Lukas Haraslin flew through the Romanian penalty area, but also past the goal. A short time later, Duda was there with his head.
After conceding the goal, the Romanians initially seemed a little shocked. In the 34th minute, Slovakian defender David Hancko brought Hagi down on the edge of the penalty area. The German referee Daniel Siebert initially awarded a free kick. After being checked by the video assistant, the 40-year-old then pointed to the penalty spot – a controversial decision. “It’s a discretionary decision,” said Siebert’s colleague Patrick Ittrich on MagentaTV. Marin converted the penalty safely.
At the start of the second half, both teams remained courageous. When a storm passed over the stadium, both sides had more chances to score. Romania’s goal scorer Marin was denied by Dubravka from distance, and a few moments later Denis Dragus narrowly missed. For Slovakia, David Strelec and Haraslin came very close to making it 2-1.