Ianis Hagi (centre) guided Romania through jubilant celebrations following their decisive victory over Ukraine in the European Championship opener.
Romania secured their first victory at a European Championship in 24 years with a remarkable triumph over Ukraine in Group E. Captain Nicolae Stanciu opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a stunning strike from 20 yards out, finding the top corner with precision. Razvan Marin doubled the lead after 53 minutes with a powerful long-range shot that slipped under Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. Four minutes later, Denis Dragus tapped in Dennis Man’s cross from close range to seal Romania’s emphatic 3-0 win.
The only previous Euros victory for Romania came in 2000 when they defeated England 3-2 in the group stage with a late Ionel Ganea penalty. Ukraine, participating in their first major tournament since the Russian invasion of February 2022, struggled throughout the match. Romania, ranked 24 places below Ukraine in FIFA rankings, prepared for the Euros with disappointing goalless draws against Bulgaria and Liechtenstein. However, spurred on by passionate support in Munich, they capitalized on Lunin’s errors to take an early lead.
Despite Lunin’s misjudgments, Romania’s victory was solidified with Marin’s strike and Dragus’s clinical finish. Edward Iordanescu’s team, unbeaten in qualifying, now positions themselves well in Group E and prepares to face Belgium next. Ukraine, quarter-finalists at the Euros in 2021, face Slovakia in their upcoming fixture.
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