UEFA EURO 2024 Group Stage
17 June, 2024 - Indian Date
Frankfurt Arena
MATCH TIMES
India
09:30 PM
UAE
08:00 PM
Saudi Arabia
07:00 PM
MATCH LIVE INFO
Belgium possible starting lineup: Casteels; Faes, Witsel, De Cuyper; Castagne, Mangala, Onana, Doku; Trossard, De Bruyne; Lukaku
Slovakia possible starting lineup: Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Bozenik, Haraslin
Match Preview
Belgium approaches Euro 2024 with a sense of quiet determination, despite not being widely regarded as one of the tournament's favorites. Full-back Timothy Castagne emphasized that external perceptions do not concern the team, which has a blend of experienced and young players. Castagne stated, "The most important thing is that we believe that we can achieve something beautiful."
The Red Devils' so-called 'golden generation' has had mixed results in recent tournaments, with their best achievement being a bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup. They experienced disappointing exits in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and Euro 2020 and failed to progress past the group stage in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Nevertheless, Belgium has maintained a strong record in qualifiers, topping their group for Euro 2024 and remaining unbeaten in their last 40 World Cup/Euros qualifiers, with 35 wins and five draws. Despite this, their chances of winning the tournament are seen as relatively low, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 4.7% chance of securing their first major trophy, ranking them behind seven other nations.
Preparations for their Group E opener against Slovakia have been somewhat disrupted by fitness issues. Defenders Jan Vertonghen and Arthur Theate have been dealing with injuries, and Axel Witsel has been training separately due to his fitness concerns. Despite these setbacks, Castagne remains confident in the squad's depth and quality, indicating that they have been training hard while being mindful to avoid unnecessary risks.
Belgium will face a challenging group stage, which includes matches against Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine. The team's performance in these games will be crucial in determining their potential for success in the tournament.