Ukraine vs Belgium

MHPArena forms the backdrop for a ‘make or break’ Euro 2024 Group E showdown between Ukraine and Belgium, with all four teams in this section tied at three points ahead of the final round.

Ukraine’s ‘never give up’ mentality stunned Slovakia in round two as Serhiy Rebrov’s side fought back from an early deficit to win 2-1 and secure a fighting chance against Belgium following a dreadful 3-0 defeat to Romania in their opening Group E fixture. Accustomed to epic comebacks, the Ukrainians did the same in the March playoffs, overturning 1-0 deficits against Iceland and Bosnia to qualify for their fourth successive Euro finals. After posting their best result in the previous edition by reaching the quarter-finals, they’ll be out to upset the apple cart and take a vital three points against Belgium, a side they’ve never met before. However, alternating between victories (2) and defeats (2) across their last four internationals suggests the Ukraine supporters don’t know what version of their team would take the field in Stuttgart.

In the meantime, Belgium shrugged off an early shock of losing 1-0 to Slovakia in a match that saw Romelu Lukaku’s two second-half goals disallowed by VAR to beat Romania 2-0 in round two. Despite being denied his Euro 2024 opener by VAR again in that game, Lukaku remains confident of helping his nation to their third consecutive knockout qualification at the Euro finals as they gun for a victory that would cement their progression as Group E winners. Head coach Domenico Tedesco has fond memories of his recent visits to Stuttgart, having won three of his last four managerial assignments in the city at club level (L1). Another triumph would likely see De Rode Duivels pack a punch, considering they’ve scored on either side of halftime across their four most recent victories.