- The Belgian striker had a hard time finding the goal in the first half against Slovakia
- Romelu Lukaku wasted three comfortable chances in the Euro 2024 match
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Romelu Lukaku endured a torrid first half of Belgium’s Euro 2024 opener against Slovakia after missing three big chances in front of goal.
Belgium trailed 1-0 at half-time after a mistake by Jeremy Doku gave the opposition an easy opener in the 7th minute, but Lukaku had chances to get his team back on level terms.
The 31-year-old is a typically reliable goalscorer for Belgium when competing in major competitions, but was criticized for his wastefulness on three separate occasions during the first 45 minutes.
Lukaku’s first golden chance saw him waste a chance from six yards just two minutes into the match when the ball came to him inside the area.
His next shot opportunity came moments later when he faced an oncoming goalkeeper, but he couldn’t make the most of it.
Romelu Lukaku endured a torrid first half of Belgium’s Euro 2024 opener against Slovakia after wasting three big chances in front of goal.
In another error just before half-time, the Chelsea striker attempted to knock down a pass when close to goal, but instead of shooting he was left red-faced as his touch took the ball out of play.
Lukaku later thought he had been reprieved at the start of the second half as Belgium chased an equaliser, but his goal was disallowed for offside, much to his chagrin.
The former Man United and Inter Milan star was tasked with leading Belgium’s attack in his team’s opening Euro Cup match at the Frankfurt Arena.
He was flanked by Doku and Arsenal star Leandro Trossard, with Kevin de Bruyne providing support in the number 10 position just behind.
However, despite their abundance of Premier League talent, Domenico Tedesco’s side struggled to break down Slovakia’s solid defence.
Lukaku’s recent struggles came as a surprise in the match, after he previously beat the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo to be the top scorer in Euro 2024 qualifying with 14 goals.