Euro 2024 Day 4 recap – France win, Romania shine, Belgium disappoint

Up until now, Euro 2024 has been fairly straightforward with few shocks.

Day 4 was the day that changed, beginning with Romania’s thumping of Ukraine. Many fancied the latter as dark horses, but they were condemned to a 3-0 defeat thanks to goals by Nicolae Stanciu, Razvan Marin and Denis Dragus.

This was followed by another surprise result, as Belgium slipped to defeat in their opener against Slovakia due to Ivan Schranz’s early strike. There are 45 places between the two sides in the FIFA World Rankings, making this the biggest shock in the history of the European Championships.

That’s where the surprises ended for the evening, as France picked up three points against Austria. Ralf Rangnick’s men made things difficult for Les Bleus, but Maximilian Wober’s own goal was the difference.

Standout Performer – Nicolae Stanciu

Not a whole lot was expected of Romania heading into the tournament. But they made an early statement with a brilliant display and result against Ukraine.

Nicolae Stanciu was the main man for the Tricolorii, opening the scoring with one of the goals of the tournament. Following goalkeeper Andriy Lunin’s weak clearance, the midfielder thundered an unstoppable first-time finish into the top corner from distance.

The victory was only Romania’s second in European Championship history, with the other coming against England 24 years ago. One more point will likely see them through to the knockout stages.

Poorest Player – Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku is currently the sixth all time top goalscorer in international football, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ali Daei, Sunil Chhetri, and Mokhtar Dahari. And yet, many know him best for the chances he didn’t take.

In his last appearance at a major tournament, the former Manchester United man missed four clear cut chances as Belgium were eliminated from the World Cup. Yesterday, he picked up where he left off, wasting several more opportunities to get on the scoresheet.

Just two minutes in, he fired straight at the goalkeeper from six yards out. Moments later, he went through on goal, but his touch escaped him as he tried to round the goalkeeper. He repeated this action again shortly before half time.

The forward looked a little sharper after the break, seeing one shot well saved and having a tap-in ruled out due to a tight offside from Amadou Onana’s header. Had he not touched the ball, however, it’s likely that Onana’s effort would have found the net anyway.

Late on, it seemed as if Lukaku had redeemed himself with a cracking finish from Lois Openda’s cutback. But his celebrations were short-lived, as VAR chalked off the goal due to a contentious handball in the build up.

Perhaps it’s harsh to single out Lukaku – a debatable handball decision and a tight offside denied him a brace. But there is little excuse for the opportunities he squandered in the first half. The pressure will be on him to turn things around in the coming matches.

Talking Point – France get the job done

As one of the leading contenders for the crown, many fancied France for a comfortable win in their opener against Austria. Our first glimpse of the two-time champions didn’t show them at their best, but is this cause for concern?

A 1-0 victory thanks to an own goal isn’t exactly going to get the blood pumping, nor strike fear into the hearts of rivals. Nonetheless, manager Didier Deschamps will be happy enough with the outcome.

Sure, they weren’t at their absolute best, but they still showed enough to prove that they remain a force to be reckoned with. Kylian Mbappe and Marcus Thuram both missed opportunities to add to the scoreline, while they came under little threat at the back barring one glorious chance for Christoph Baumgartner in the first half.

But by far the biggest positive was the performance of N’Golo Kante, who looked back to his best in the middle of the park. Despite being 33 and spending the last year in the Saudi Pro League, the World Cup winner proved that he still has plenty left to offer.

Throughout his career, Kante has proven to be a vital player in several winning sides. When he is at his best, he elevates his team to a different level. If he can keep this up, France will be very tough to beat.

Up Next

Just four more teams wait to get in on the action. Georgia – the lowest ranked nation in the competition – feature at their first ever major tournament, facing Turkey. The Crescent Stars will be hoping for a major improvement on their Euro 2020 showing, where they got no points and scored just one goal.

The first round of fixtures ends with one of the favourites facing a potential dark horse. Portugal possess one of the most star-studded squads in the tournament, spearheaded by the competition’s all-time top goalscorer in Cristiano Ronaldo. But they shouldn’t underestimate Czech Republic, who reached the quarter-finals three years ago.