“Romania and Slovakia came into their final Euro 2024 group game today knowing that a draw would take them both through to the last 16… but the match did not begin sedately. There were 11 shots in the opening 25 minutes and the last of them resulted in a Slovakia goal — via a powerful header from Ondrej Duda. By half-time, Romania were level, thanks to an equally emphatic penalty from Razvan Marin. The two sides continued to trade blows into the second half, in a match further enlivened by lightning, heavy rain and one of the themes of the summer: a questionable pitch. Despite several close shaves, there was no more scoring, meaning we got the draw many expected, but in a significantly more exciting fashion than most imagined. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Guardian: Dignity reigns on stormy night as Romania and Slovakia battle into last 16
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