France Wins Euro 2024 Opener Despite Mbappé’s Injury, Romania Dominates Ukraine

The French national team, despite a lackluster performance and struggling in front of the goal, secured a 1-0 victory against Austria in their first Euro-2024 match in Düsseldorf. However, the evening was overshadowed by Kylian Mbappé fracturing his nose towards the end of the game.

It’s uncertain how long Mbappé will be sidelined due to the injury. The superstar forward suffered a bloody and broken nose in a collision with Austrian defender Kevin Danso in the 86th minute.

Prior to the unfortunate incident, Mbappé had a decisive role in the only French goal, with his right-wing cross resulting in an own goal by Maximilian Wöber in the 38th minute.

French coach Didier Deschamps expressed concern over Mbappé’s condition, indicating that the team would be significantly stronger with him on the pitch.

Following Mbappé’s injury, concerns loom over his availability moving forward after a challenging season at PSG and a disrupted preparation for the Euro championship.

On the other hand, Romania made a strong start to Euro 2024 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Ukraine in Munich. Nicolae Stanciu‘s stunning strike set the tone for Romania’s triumph.

The Romanians capitalized on a defensive error by Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to take the lead just before the half-hour mark. The Ukrainians struggled to contain Romania’s attacking prowess throughout the match.

In Group E, Belgium, led by Romelu Lukaku, suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to Slovakia, leaving them in a precarious position ahead of their clash with Romania. Only the top two and the four best third-place teams will advance to the knockout stage.

Belgium struggled to find their rhythm, with Kevin De Bruyne failing to make an impact in the match. Slovakia capitalized on an early goal by Ivan Schranz to secure a vital victory.