EURO 2024 Roundup, Matchday 13
Here is a recap of the games that occurred on Matchday 13 of EURO 2024, focusing on the results and notable individual displays.
Slovakia 1-1 Romania
Romania and Slovakia ended their final Group E match at the 2024 UEFA European Championship with a 1-1 draw, allowing both teams to advance to the round of 16 despite challenging weather conditions at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. Even though they knew a draw would secure their progression, both teams were not cautious in the first half. Slovakia posed early threats from set-pieces. Kucka’s cross set up the opening goal by Ondrej Duda. Romania quickly responded with a penalty awarded after a VAR review for Dávid Hancko’s foul on Ianis Hagi. Răzvan Marin converted the penalty confidently, leveling the score before halftime.
Romania came close to completing a comeback. Marin was denied a second goal by a great save from Dúbravka, and then Denis Drăguș narrowly missed the target with a curling shot. Slovakia also had a good chance to score, with Strelec’s shot saved by Niță and Haraslín’s effort going just wide. Despite taking the lead in their fifth consecutive match, Slovakia may feel a bit disappointed not to win, but their main goal was to advance to the knockout stage. Romania, on the other hand, will be thrilled to progress to the Euros’ group stage for the first time since 2000.
Ukraine 0-0 Belgium
Belgium and Ukraine played a 0-0 draw in a closely contested match. Both teams ended up with four points in Group E of the UEFA European Championships, with Dominic Todesco’s team finishing second behind Romania based on goals scored. Ukraine finished at the bottom due to goal difference, with their heavy loss to Romania in the first match proving costly. The match was crucial as all four teams in the group had three points before kickoff. Despite Kevin De Bruyne’s efforts to create chances, Belgium couldn’t find the breakthrough. Ukraine gradually grew into the game, but neither team could score in the first half.
Both teams continued to struggle in the second half, with neither goalkeeper facing much pressure. Lukaku had a chance to score just after the hour mark, but his shot was easily saved by Trubin. Carrasco injected energy into the game when he came on in the 62nd minute and almost scored with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Despite both teams’ efforts, neither could find a goal, and Slovakia and Romania’s 1-1 draw in Frankfurt meant that goal difference and goals scored would determine qualification. Belgium faces a tough challenge against France in the next round after a shaky performance in the Round of 16.
Czech Republic 1-2 Turkey
Turkey secured their spot in the round of 16 of the 2024 UEFA European Championship with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a resilient Czech Republic team playing with 10 men. This defeat marked only the second time in their history that the Czech Republic failed to win a group stage match. The Czechs’ momentum was disrupted when Antonín Barák received a second yellow card, reducing them to 10 players. Turkey capitalized on this advantage, with young talent Arda Güler coming close to scoring with an acrobatic effort. Despite the Czech team’s efforts, Günok’s saves kept them at bay.
Çalhanoğlu scored the first goal in the 51st minute. Barış Alper Yılmaz created an opportunity on the right side and passed to Kenan Yıldız, whose shot was saved by Jindřich Staněk before Çalhanoğlu scored with a powerful shot. The Czech team equalized when Günok made a mistake, dropping the ball under pressure from Tomáš Chorý, allowing Souček to score. However, this goal was only a consolation as Cenk Tosun scored a late goal to secure the win for his team. The Czechia finished in fourth place. On the other hand, Turkey finished second in the group and will face Austria in the next round.
Georgia 2-0 Portugal
Georgia surprisingly secured their spot in the knockout rounds of UEFA Euro 2024 with a 2-0 victory over Group F winners Portugal. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze scored the goals for Georgia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. Georgia, aiming for their first major tournament win as an independent nation, started strong with an early goal by Kvaratskhelia. Despite Portugal’s efforts to equalize, Georgia’s defense held strong, and they came close to extending their lead with a free-kick that narrowly missed the target.
Diogo Dalot had a shot saved by the goalkeeper for Portugal, but it was Georgia who capitalized on their pressure. A penalty was awarded to Georgia after Silva was judged to have fouled Lochoshvili in the box. Mikautadze converted the penalty, scoring his third goal of the tournament and giving Georgia a comfortable lead. Despite Portugal’s attempts to mount a late comeback, Mamardashvili’s save from Semedo denied them any chance, allowing Georgia to secure the win and set up an exciting match against Spain in the next round. Portugal will now aim to recover in the knockout stages as they face Slovenia on Monday.
