Romelu Lukaku had a night to forget as Slovakia pulled off a surprising 1-0 victory over Belgium in their second Group E match on Monday.
Romania had previously opened the group with a commanding 3-0 win over Ukraine, putting them at the top of the table.
The upset took place at Deutsche Bank Park, where the underdog Slovakia team shocked one of the tournament favorites, Belgium. Chelsea striker Lukaku missed three significant chances in the first half, and his goal in the second half was disallowed due to a handball by Luis Openda.
Ivan Schranz capitalized on a poor pass from Jeremy Doku to score the only goal of the match in the seventh minute. Despite Belgium’s dominance, with over 70% possession and seven shots in the first half, they couldn’t convert their chances, largely due to Lukaku’s misfires.
Early in the second half, Lukaku thought he had leveled the score, but his goal was ruled out for offside. Slovakia, ranked 48th by FIFA, managed to hold on for a historic win against Belgium, the world’s third-ranked team.
This defeat marks Belgium’s first loss to a team outside the top 45 in the FIFA rankings since 2010.
The Red Devils aim to recover in their next game against Romania on Saturday, while Slovakia will look to secure a spot in the next round with a victory over Ukraine.
