Belgium have lift off. After the false start to Euro 2024 they burst into life with an opening goal inside 73 seconds by Youri Tielemans and a vintage display by Kevin de Bruyne to suggest talk of his demise might be premature.
Captain De Bruyne was the creative heartbeat of his team in Cologne and scorer of the crucial second to soothe nerves in the closing stages, an emphatic answer to the question of whether his genius was might be fading.
Here he did at least prove he has what it takes to dictate a game at this level and with him in this sort of mood there will always be the chance Domenico Tedesco’s team can go deep into the tournament.
‘We knew what needed to do,’ said De Bruyne. ‘We came for the win otherwise we knew we were going home. That was the most important thing. Anything I could do to help get us on the right track that’s great.
‘The chances we did create paid off. We had shots off target and shots saved but what’s important is that getting in those situations.’
Youri Tielemans opened the scoring after 72 seconds to infuse Belgium with fresh optimism
Lukaku thought he had made it 2-0 in the 64th minute, racing clear onto a pass by De Bruyne, only to find the goal ruled out for offside, just like his two in the defeat by Slovakia. It would have made the final phase of the game a good deal less stressful for the team ranked third in the world by FIFA.
Instead, they traded punches with Romania even beyond De Bruyne’s goal before closing out a victory which leaves all four teams in Group E on three points going into the final set of fixtures. Belgium will face Ukraine and Romania face Slovakia.
‘Now is the moment of truth,’ said Romania boss Edward Iordanescu. ‘We had a great start to the tournament and created enthusiasm. Now let’s see how we react to difficulty. We need unity because we are still first in the group.’
Romania have not reached the last 16 of a major tournament since Euro 2000, when they beat Kevin Keegan’s England to get out of the group. If he can do it, Iordanescu will go some way to emulating his father Anghel who led the nation, then inspired by the brilliance of Gheorghe Hagi, to the World Cup quarter finals in 1994. Hagi, whose son Ianis came on in the second half, was in Cologne to offer his support.
‘This s the most complicated group,’ said Iordanescu. ‘We had to try to not concede too many. If we conceded a third it would have been really bad for us.’
Goal difference would have been at the forefront of Romanian minds from the moment Tielemans struck in the second minute.
The Aston Villa midfielder, left out of the opener, was one of four changes made by Tedesco and his goal was a sweet, first-time strike fizzed low past goalkeeper Florin Nita from just outside the penalty box after fabulous approach play by Jeremy Doku on the left and a lay-off by Lukaku.
Belgium invited pressure by losing to Slovakia but burst into life here against Romania
Jan Vertonghen won his 155th cap at the age of 37 at the back, keeping a clean sheet
Tottenham’s Radu Dragusin forced a save from Koen Casteels as Romania tried to hit back quickly but they struggled to assert any control, while Belgium failed to convert their opportunities.
Dragusin blocked an effort by Lukaku. Nita saved another from Dodi Lukebakio. Jan Vertonghen, another recalled to the team and winning his 155th cap at the age of 37, blazed wide from a corner and Lukebakio skied another chance.
Casteels saved from Dennis Man and had to be alert to dash from his goal to deny first Denis Dragus and then Valentin Mihaila, but the more they risked in attack the more freely De Bruyne and his pacy wingers cut through on the counterattack.
Romania were far more composed in the second half. Man tested Casteels again with a fierce drive as cut in from the right and Mihaila burst clear through the centre only to squander the chance and then De Bruyne found his range.
If Edward Iordanescu can lead Romania to the last 16 he would acquire legendary status
First, only inches wide with a curler from distance. Then, a low shot saved and a cross almost finding Doku at the back post.
When he released Lukaku to score in the 64th minute, relief washed around the Belgian ranks. They did not seem to anticipate the VAR check, which went against him again, somewhat inevitably. Fans groaned when the graphic flashed up on the big screen and showed just how tight the call was.
Lukaku was agog on the Rhine until the second goal, a long route-one kick launched down the centre by Casteels, misjudged by in the air by Andrei Burca and De Bruyne held off the challenge of Dragusin as he scored his 28th international goal. He is not done yet. Neither are Belgium.
