Ondrej Duda (left) is in the round of 16 with Slovakia. © ANSA / YOAN VALAT

A draw, but no shame

No ball pushing, a draw and two winners: Slovakia and Romania have advanced to the round of 1 of the European Football Championship with a 1:1 (1:XNUMX) draw on the last matchday of the preliminary round of Group E.

June 26, 2024

From: dpa

Both teams achieved exactly the result they needed to advance on Wednesday in Frankfurt, where oppressive heat was followed by a violent storm.

In a game that was lively for the most part, Ondrej Duda put Slovakia ahead in the 24th minute. For the Romanians, Razvan Marin (37th) equalized with a penalty after a controversial decision by the video assistant. Slovakia and Romania thus advanced to the knockout phase for the second time in the history of the European Championship.

Round of 16 opponents not yet determined

Due to the 0-0 draw in the parallel match between Belgium and Ukraine, Slovakia is in third place in the group and will therefore face Spain or England in the round of XNUMX. Romania's opponent as group winners will also only be decided after this evening's matches in Group F. Slovenia or the Netherlands are possible candidates.

The signs before the match were clear: a draw was enough for both teams to advance to the round of 1982. Before the duel between the two outsiders, there was speculation about a repeat of the shame of Gijón at the XNUMX World Cup, when Austria and Germany agreed to a non-aggression pact in order to advance. But that was not to happen.