Belgium vs Romania live updates (2024)

That's it! That's the ball game!

Belgium win and keep a fascinatingly poised Group E alive.

A great contest. Brilliant entertainment.

90+4' Belgium 2-0 Romania

We're into the fourth and final minute of stoppage time.

Too late for Romania to mount a comeback, methinks.

Though you never know!

90+2' Belgium 2-0 Romania

Give it a rest, Kevin. Firstly, he fouls a defender by pulling his shorts, then yells at ref Szymon Marciniak for pulling him up on it.

Then, in an offside position, he is at the back of another defender, who clears it behind for a corner, before the offside flag goes up. Red-faced, he screams with rage at the ref that he didn't play the ball, so it's not offside, in his view.

But the defender only put it out for a corner because you were behind him (in an offside position)! Play on, get on with it. Disingenuous.

89' Belgium 2-0 Romania

Not that time!

He has the chance for a shot from a very tight angle on the right but it's well parried by Nita.

Then Deian Sorescu comes on for blue-haired right-back Andrei Ratiu, who I think has played well tonight.

Four subs for each team so far.

87' Belgium 2-0 Romania

'Twice. TWICE!', as Pep Guardiola would say.

With Romania throwing men forward, especially down the left, there's loads of space on Belgium's right side.

Firstly, Leandro Trossard got in but dallied and didn't manage to play it across to a free Kevin De Bruyne at the back post.

Then, he got in again and had Yannick Carrasco free at the back post but didn't play it as soon as he should have and it was cut out. Carrasco was (rightly, in my opinion) furious with that decision-making.

85' Belgium 2-0 Romania

This game isn't over! Who said it was?!

The ball is nudged past the onrushing Koen Casteels by sub Denis Alibec after he holds off Wout Faes, just a light poke, and Castagne does well to sprint back and flick it away from danger.

84' Belgium 2-0 Romania

Nearly three! Leandro Trossard gets in behind the all-out-attack Romanians down the right wing, squares it unselfishly across the box to Romelu Lukaku for the tap-in... but Burca does really well to track it and it's cleared away.

Denis Alibec replaces Denis Dragus up front for Romania, by the way.

81' Belgium 2-0 Romania

VAR confirms the goal!

A big, long, booming goal kick from Koen Casteels flies deep into Romania territory and Andrei Burca, who mistimed his jump, could only accidentally flick a header back towards his own goal.

De Bruyne, who was running forward in anticipation of a Romelu Lukaku flick-on, looked offside had it been a Lukaku touch, but given that it came off Burca, was onside.

He raced onto the bouncing ball, tussled with Radu Dragusin, held off the strong Tottenham man, and flicked it beyond the goalkeeper Florin Nita, who took a right old whack for his troubles.

De Bruyne's straight-leg flick meant he caught Nita nastily (though accidentally) on the follow-through, and Nita looked in real pain and rolled around on the ground. But the goal was upheld by VAR despite the tackle. Right decision for me.

80' Belgium 2-0 Romania

This looks like game over!

Unless it's offside again?

78' Belgium 1-0 Romania

Confirmed, Arthur Theate does come off.

Zeno Debast, naturally a centre-back, comes on in his place and moves to right-back, with Timothy Castagne, experienced on both sides, moving to the left.

76' Belgium 1-0 Romania

...including stoppage time.

The second half has absolutely whizzed by.

Hopefully you're enjoying it so far! I know I am.

A reminder: you can subscribe to The Athletic using our latest discount offer for the tournament here.

75' Belgium 1-0 Romania

Ah dear. Belgium left-back Arthur Theate makes that well-known finger sign to illustrate that he needs to come off.

I wonder if we'll see sub Carrasco, who started the first game at left-back and is currently on the left wing, move back to face Romania's dangerous right-sided forward Dennis Man.

72' Belgium 1-0 Romania

Romania take off the booked Marius Marin and Valentin Mihaila for Darius Olaru and Gheorghe Hagi's son Ianis. Two straight swaps.

Belgium bring on Orel Mangala for Youri Tielemans in midfield and Yannick Carrasco for Jeremy Doku on the wing.

They've just shown the automated-offside graphic on the big screen.

Belgium fans, perhaps not spotting Lukaku's stray toe, are not happy with it.

The teams have racked up 27 chances between them

Belgium have had 51 attacks!

Lads, can you slow down a bit, I can't keep up!

First, we get the pass of the night from Razvan Marin to Andrei Ratiu, only for the Romanian right-back to sky his finish. Then De Bruyne plays the second best pass of the night for Lukaku to race onto and slot home.

Cue bedlam... only for more bedlam when it is chalked off for offside.

Romania then almost pinball their way to a goal, only for De Bruyne to escape on the break...until Marius Marin rugby tackled him.

Whilst typing this, Lukaku has gone close and Romania have nearly scored. It is still 1-0.

68' Belgium 1-0 Romania

This game is wide open now!

Romania have their best chance of the match, and they should really be level, moments after they thought it was 2-0 to Belgium.

Dennis Man was through, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, albeit running diagonally across the penalty area, and shooting with his weaker right foot. It was poorly aimed and Casteels did well to race off his line and block it.

By the way, Lukaku had another chance shortly after his disallowed goal but lashed it straight at Nita.

67' Belgium 1-0 Romania

The 31-year-old is so frustrated with that. Two tiny, minute (albeit correct, using the semi-automated offside technology) offsides seeing two goals chalked off, and another disallowed against Slovakia for a harsh 'handball' from Lois Openda.

A hat-trick of disallowed goals in three matches!

Marius Marin, who should definitely have been booked in the first half, hauls down Kevin De Bruyne in midfield and finally gets a booking.

65' Belgium 1-0 Romania

Ah, such bad luck for poor old Romelu Lukaku.

It was a wonderful through ball from Kevin De Bruyne to Lukaku, who raced onto it and slotted it home, sparking wild celebrations.

But he was narrowly, narrowly offside. So close. And it's unfortunate for the Chelsea striker.

64' Belgium 2-0 Romania

Romelu Lukaku scores!

But is he offside?

There's a VAR check...