All Teams Draw, Romania Tops Group
Final Standings in Group E
The third round of matches in Group E saw all four teams, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, and Belgium, end their games in draws. Each team finished with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, accumulating 4 points. The final standings were determined by goal difference, with Romania taking first place, Belgium second, Slovakia third, and Ukraine being eliminated despite having 4 points.
| Team | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | +1 |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Slovakia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 |
| Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -2 |
Slovakia vs. Romania
In the match between Slovakia and Romania, Slovakia took the lead in the 24th minute with a header by Ondrej Duda, assisted by Juraj Kucka. Romania equalized in the 37th minute with a penalty converted by Razvan Marin. The match ended 1-1, with no goals scored in the second half.
Ukraine vs. Belgium
Belgium controlled 60% of the possession in the first half against Ukraine. In the 7th minute, Kevin De Bruyne’s breakthrough led to a shot by Romelu Lukaku, but it did not result in a goal. Ukraine intensified their attacks in the second half, and Ruslan Malinovskyi came close in the 83rd minute, but Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels made a crucial save, leading to a 0-0 draw. Ukraine was eliminated based on goal difference.
Portugal Upset by Georgia, Turkey Advances
Final Standings in Group F
Portugal, which had already secured advancement before the match, was surprisingly defeated 0-2 by Georgia. Despite the loss, Portugal topped the group with 6 points. Georgia secured third place with this win. In another match, Turkey beat the Czech Republic 2-1 to finish second in the group, eliminating the Czech Republic.
| Team | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | +3 |
| Turkey | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | +1 |
| Georgia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -1 |
| Czech Rep. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -3 |
Portugal vs. Georgia
Georgia scored early in the 2nd minute through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, assisted by Georges Mikautadze. Despite efforts by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 16th and 21st minutes, Portugal couldn’t find the net in the first half. Georgia extended their lead in the 57th minute with a penalty converted by Mikautadze, and the match ended 2-0 in favor of Georgia.
Czech Republic vs. Turkey
The Czech Republic needed a win to advance and faced Turkey in a tense match. Antonin Barak received a yellow card in the 11th minute and another in the 20th, resulting in a red card and ejection. Despite being down a player, the Czech Republic held Turkey to a 0-0 draw at halftime. Turkey’s Hakan Calhanoglu scored in the 51st minute, but Tomas Soucek equalized for the Czechs in the 66th minute. In stoppage time, substitute Cenk Tosun scored the winning goal for Turkey, leading to a 2-1 victory and Turkey advancing to the knockout stage.(Superace88)