Echoes of England fans’ fury as Belgium limp into knockouts – and Ukraine go out

Between them, Kevin De Bruyne and Jan Vertonghen have made more than 250 combined appearances for Belgium. These are two players who have seen most things on the international stage but, judging by their faces after the full-time whistle here in Stuttgart, they might never before have seen something quite like this.

As De Bruyne and Vertonghen made their way towards the Belgian supporters, their progress to the knockout stages secured after a goalless draw with Ukraine, they were met with a wave of fury. Boos and whistles rained down on the Belgian players, and it came from their own fans. It was the loudest the Stuttgart Arena had been all evening.

The two Belgian stalwarts did not attempt to hide their disgust. Vertonghen frowned, his face a picture of irritated confusion, while De Bruyne spun on his heels. Turning his back on the Belgium supporters, the Manchester City midfielder urged his team-mates to stay away from them. Only when the substitutes came out for their warm down did anyone go close to that end of the pitch, and those substitutes were ironically cheered for doing so.

Speaking afterwards, De Bruyne was in no mood to fan the flames. “We need these fans,” he said, curtly and pointedly. “That is all I have to say.”

A remarkable situation, then, and one that had more than a few echoes of the scenario currently facing England. As with England, Belgium have qualified for the knockout stages. As with England, they have not been particularly impressive in doing so. As with England, their supporters are not happy.

In terms of the wider picture, Belgium fans actually have more reason to grumble than those following England. This draw with Ukraine left Domenico Tedesco’s team in second place in Group E, which means they are now on the more treacherous side of the draw. Their opponents in the round of 16 will be France.

In the cloying Stuttgart humidity it was an angry, tetchy sort of day for all involved with Belgium. De Bruyne briefly stopped the match to complain about laser pointers being shone in his eyes, and Tedesco later fumed about the team’s journey to the stadium, saying it was “unbelievable” how long it took for them to arrive.

“It took an hour to get from our hotel, with a police escort,” Tedesco said. “No blue lights. The road was completely free and they slowed down. We had to cut the warm-up short and I had a speech of just two minutes.”

Belgium’s players, like England’s, have learned that progress is not all that matters in this tournament. Supporters of these big teams want performances, too, and on that front Belgium totally failed to deliver what was expected against Ukraine. By the end they were happy to settle for a single point, even though it meant a meeting with France.

As Ukraine chased a late winner, Belgium were briefly on the brink of being knocked out of the competition altogether. If their goalkeeper, Koen Casteels, had not scrambled the ball away in the 83rd minute, De Bruyne and his team-mates would have been on the next flight home. Ruslan Malinovskyi’s corner was just a few inches away from spinning over the line.

Ukraine’s failure to score brought them the misfortune of being the first team in the history of the European Championship to finish bottom of a group while earning four points. All four teams in Group E took four points, with Romania going through in first place because their 3-0 victory over Ukraine had boosted their goal difference.

“We did not qualify because of the first game which we lost to Romania,” said Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov. “But we showed the character of our nation. We need the support of Europe and we are part of Europe. It is very important for us to be represented here. It was important to show we are fighting. We will not stop.”

In De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Jeremy Doku, Belgium have players who will frighten the French defence. There was no real suggestion here, though, that these attackers are close to reaching top form. Belgium had a few half-chances but little more than that, with Lukaku wasting the best of the opportunities in the first half.

Like England, Belgium remain a long way from their best. But where there is such talent, there will always be hope. This team could hit their stride at any moment, with or without the backing of their fans.

Watch: De Bruyne targeted with lasers

Belgium’s match against Ukraine at Euro 2024 was briefly interrupted after De Bruyne stopped the game to complain to the referee that laser pointers were being shone in his eyes.‌

De Bruyne was standing over a free-kick in the first half when a green laser was directed into his face from the Ukraine end of the ground.‌

De Bruyne had also been targeted with the lasers when taking a corner earlier in the first half, and he appeared to make it clear to referee Anthony Taylor that the lights were disturbing him.‌

Shortly after De Bruyne’s conversation with Taylor, an announcement was made at the Stuttgart Arena to remind supporters that laser points are “prohibited”.‌

Ukraine vs Belgium: As it happened . . .

07:15 PM BST

Final word from our man on the ground in Stuttgart . . .

07:11 PM BST

Round of 16 opponents

Belgium will play France in Dusseldorf on Monday …Romania will play Slovenia or Netherlands in Munich on Tuesday and Slovakia will play either England in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday or Spain in Cologne later the same day. We’ll find out after the final two games.

07:07 PM BST

Here’s your final table

07:02 PM BST

Belgium’s players are being booed by their own fans

And deservedly so. They were horrible to watch, demonstrably less than the sum of their parts.

06:57 PM BST

Table – it says’at half-time’ but nothing changed in two goalless second halves

06:55 PM BST

Full time: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Ukraine take the draw and four points to finish fourth. The 1-1 draw in Frankfurt means Romania go through as top of the group, Belgium are second, Slovakia through in third and Ukraine are out.

06:54 PM BST

90+4 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

De Bruyne and Bakayoko waste time by the corner flag on the left until they concede a free-kick with half a minute left. Trubin belts it upfield but it bounces off Dovbyk.

06:52 PM BST

90+2 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Sudakov, who deserves to have his pick of the great clubs over the next few weeks, breaks the Belgian lines with another dribble and then, as the tide parts, scuds a low shot from 20 yards too close to Casteels. Should have scored.

06:51 PM BST

90 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Chance for Ukraine when they throw men forward in a break and square it Malinovskyi who runs on to the pass 25 yards but and absolutely larrups it, knocking Castagne into next week as he stooped to block.

Four minutes of stoppage time to come.

06:49 PM BST

88 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

End to end now as Belgium invite Ukraine on to them and look vulnerable until Yarmolenko’s shot is blocked and then they break. But a pass to De Bruyne from Carrasco that should have set up a shot on goalm from 15 yards is miscued and Bakayoko steps in off the right to smash it wildly behind.

06:47 PM BST

86 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

De Bruyne injects some urgency by picking out Lukaku on the right side of the box but he gets his feet into a tangle and has to settle for a corner rather than picking out Bakayoko for a tap-in.

06:45 PM BST

84 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Belgium have a throw-in 70 yards upfield and they work it all the way back to the keeper, to the derision of the Ukraine fans.

If you think England are incoherent, stodgy and timid. Take a look at Belgium.

06:44 PM BST

82 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Corner on the right for Ukraine after neat footwork from Stepanenko.

Malinovskyi takes and tries to diddle Casteels at the near post with a Barnes-Wallis bouncer skimming in low until Casteels bundles it behind in full scrambling mode. Belgium defend the second corner with a firm header.

06:42 PM BST

80 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

All Ukraine now, trying to turn the screw. Sudakov dribbles down the inside-right and slides the pass in to Dovbyk’s feet. The forward shimmies and shoots from 15 yards into the side netting, Vertonghen covering the near post astutely.

Yarmolenko ⇢ Svatok.

That’s the end of 5-3-2 as they switch to 4-3-3 to look for the goal they need to go through.

06:38 PM BST

78 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Belgium now change their other winger:

Bakayoko ⇢ Doku.

06:37 PM BST

76 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

From the corner Casteels makes a rudimentary save and Faes a good block.

06:36 PM BST

74 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Carrasco cuts in off the left across the 18-yard line and plays a one-two with Lukaku then shoots low to Trubin’s right and he parries it away. Doku picks it up, rides three tackles and shoots into Matviyenko/Matt Bianco. The ball rebounds upfield and Ukraine counter at pace … until Dovbyk tries to take on Faes and lacks the zip. The Leicester centre-half makes a vital tackle.

06:33 PM BST

72 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku jinks in from the left, loses the right wing-back and promptly plays a pass a yard behind Lukaku.

06:31 PM BST

70 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Triple Ukraine substitution:

Vanat ⇢ Yaremchuk
Malinovskyi ⇢ Shaparenko
Stepanenko ⇢ Brazhko.

06:29 PM BST

68 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Onana wins the ball 10 yards from his own goal and is shunted over after he knocks it up to the centre-circle. Lukaku takes it and spins towards goal and fades a  fine pass up the inside-left for Carrasco to stride through but juts when he was about to pull the trigger and hit a left-foot shot, Tymchyk lunged in from the side to knock it away on the 18-yard line.

06:26 PM BST

65 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

If it stays as it is, Belgium will play France in the R16. So, winning would enhance their chances of kicking on into the last eight.

06:25 PM BST

63 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Lukaku takes on an ambitious shot from the left of the box when De Bruyne slides the ball through to him having piunced on Tymchyk’s infield hospital pass. The Roma striker sweeps a left-footed daisycutter too close to Trubin who dives to his right to gather.

06:21 PM BST

61 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Two Belgium changes:

Mangala ⇢ Tielemans
Carrasco ⇢ Trossard.

06:20 PM BST

59 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Belgium simply haven’t got their act together. Stuck between knowing a point is good enough and the fear of losing and going home.

06:19 PM BST

57 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku bombs down the left before Ukraine can put their sub on but the winger doesn’t pick up his head until after he crossed it aimlessly through the six-yard box when Lukaku was about to dart between two defenders at the back post. Svatok hacks it away.

Zinchenko ⇢ Mykolenko.

06:17 PM BST

55 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Mykolenko has hurt his ankle after tackling Castagne and signals to the bench. No physio comes one before the corner, though, and he throws himself in front of Doku’s shot to block it with his rear end and then makes the universal rolling hands sign to declare his time’s up.

06:13 PM BST

53 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku races down the left, chops inside then tries to find Lukaku but his pass is cut out before it reaches the back post. Back come Belgium from the clearance and Tielemans grasps the nettle and shoots, the ball ricocheting off Matviyenko and out for a corner that comes to naught, another Tielemans shot off target that seems to catch Svatok’s toe but is given as a goalkick.

06:11 PM BST

50 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku is penalised for stepping on Shaparenko’s foot as he tried to bamboozle him with tricks on the edge of the area, trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear because Trossard, instead of shooting, played it to him when he was surrounded instead. Have a shot, man.

06:08 PM BST

48 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Theate, the Rennes left-back, ruins a promising move by playing a ball between Zabarnyi and Tymchyk for Doku to run on to except he didn’t expect it and never left the blocks. The ball rolls out for a goalkick.

06:07 PM BST

46 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

No changes. Both teams are on a knife edge. Should it stay level between Slovakia and Romania, which suits both parties, losing here would eliminate Belgium and not winning would knock out Ukraine. Something’s got to give.

06:04 PM BST

Group E update

It’s 1-1 in Frankfurt which means Ukraine will finish fourth with four points if the results stay the same and be eliminated. Belgium will go through in second place.

05:54 PM BST

Alan Shearer continues in caustic vein

Ripping into Doku and Trossard whose contributions have been ‘non-existent’. ‘The final ball is really poor.’

05:52 PM BST

Half-time: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Ukraine have created the best chances, Belgium kings of bogus possession. No spark, too cautious and no aggression. Sudakov, Brazhko and Shaparenko are playing well, all three finding passes to bypass Belgium’s midfield and set up chances for Yaremchuk and Dovbyk.

05:48 PM BST

45 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

De Bruyne shoots from 20 yards down the inside-left channel and barely stings Trubin’s palms.

05:46 PM BST

43 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Faes is booked 25 yards out on the Ukraine left for a foul on Sudakov and Ukraine’s free-kick routine fails to work.

05:45 PM BST

41 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Shaparenko joins the forward line with a run that sets up Yaremchuk for a shot inside the are to the left of the penalty spot but he opts to try to find Dovbyk at the back post instead and miscues his pass, bending it behind his strike partner and away from goal. For pity’s sake: Carpe diem.

05:42 PM BST

39 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Sudakov is hurt when Onana flicks the ball with his heel to chop it past him and then steps on his ankle as he tried to hare off in the opposite direction. Moments earlier De Bruyne had failed to pick out the wide open Trossard, hitting the defender with his intended throughball.

05:38 PM BST

37 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku flies down the left to the byline, tracked by Tymchyk, and slices his cross behind.

05:37 PM BST

35 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Sudakov works an opening down the inside left with a gliding run but then shoots straight at the keeper without sting.

05:36 PM BST

33 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Some berk in the crowd is shining a laser in De Bruyne’s eyes before he takes the free-kick. He steps away to inform the referee before taking it. When he runs up in earnest and shapes to cross, he tries instead to sneak a 25-yard shot a couple of yards in from the right touchline, in by the right post. Trubin isn’t gulled though and makes ground to watch the ball curl into the external side-netting.

05:33 PM BST

31 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Lukaku is fouled down the right by Svatok after a Trossard trick. Belgium’s players are dripping with sweat and take on water.

05:32 PM BST

29 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Sudakov twice sparks attacks bypassing Tielemans and De Bruyne to leave Onana on his own. The playmaker’s passes down the side first set up a rubbish shot from Dovbyk that he claws wide, the second a cross from Mykolenko that eludes Vertonghen but is behind Yaremchuk who improvises but can’t impart any power or precision on it.

05:30 PM BST

26 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku cuts in off the left and he dances infield to steer a pass to De Bruyne bombing down the inside right. He bends a cross to the far post where Zabarnyi is there again to head it before Lukaku can creep round his blindside.

05:28 PM BST

24 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Tedesco is urging his players to stay calm by pushing both palms down. I think slowing the tempo is playing into the opposition’s hands as England know only too well.

05:26 PM BST

21 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Ukraine open up Belgium with two passes down the centre-right and Yaremchuk lets fly from 20 yards. Casteels pats it down and grans it at the second attempt. Then, from his throw, Faes plays a blind pass inside which is picked off and Shaparenko and Sudakov combine to find Dovbyk 25 yards out and the big centre-forward wraps his left instep round the shot, dragging it wide.

05:22 PM BST

18 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Martin Keown points put that the 5-3-2 Ukraine are using, same as Switzerland and Denmark, is difficult to break down in this tournament because the three midfielders close the narrow inside-forward channels and there’s no room down the wings. It’s going to take De Bruyne’s vision and Doku’s tricks.

05:20 PM BST

16 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku has switched to the right with Trossard on the left and they are moving the ball from side to side crisply. Castagne makes a second mistake to halt their progress from a throw-in.

Yaremchuk gets his own back for the shirt-pull by shoving Faes over and he goes down like a bag of hammers to win the free-kick. He was always going to get that. Didn’t need the Platoon-style stagger and roll.

05:16 PM BST

14 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

De Bruyne intercepts Trubin’s goal-kick but Svatok mops up his keeper’s mess at the price of a corner which is defended well.

05:15 PM BST

12 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Doku takes one touch too many when he tries to beat Tymchyk and loses the ball but Belgium intercept and Onana tries to slide De Bruyne down the right of the box with Trossard having pulled Matviyenko over to the left. But he gets too much on it and the ball rolls behind.

05:13 PM BST

10 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Ukraine are taking it in turns to foul Doku to reduce the chance of a yellow card for persistent fouling. Zabarnyi hangs out a leg as a hurdle for Doku who duly obliges by going down.

05:10 PM BST

‘Global icon’

05:09 PM BST

8 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Belgium break down the left with Vertonghen shifting it to Onana and on to De Bruyne who slips a fine pass down the inside-left for Lukaku. The striker bullocks past Zabarnyi and tries to hook a shot with his left from about 15 yards but scuffs it, the ball being slightly behind him when he made contact.

05:08 PM BST

6 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Faes, who can be very handsy as anyone who has watched the Championship last season would testify, grans YAremchuk’s shirt to stup the centre-forward rolling him 40 yards out. Ukraine take it short and lose the ball.

05:06 PM BST

4 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Mykolenko harries Castagne after a loopy header from Faes and wins the ball. He plays a one-two with Sudakov and then crosses, too close to Casteels and Belgium break. Doku nutmegs Tymchyk who leaves his boot hanging to catch him after being diddled.

05:04 PM BST

3 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Theate looks for a pass over the top for Doku who is starting on the left but the ball skips off the turf and Ukraine get there first. No matter there was an offside flag anyway.

05:03 PM BST

1 min: Ukraine 0 Belgium 0

Belgium, as they have done for 10 years, roll the free-kick back to Vertonghen and the left-sided centre-back, once of Tottenham, now of Anderlecht at the age of 37, gives it back to Casteels. Belgium are hounded into conceding a corner which they defend without sweating.

05:01 PM BST

Mudryk mystery

Given how well he played in the victory over Slovakia, he must be injured says the BBC’s Steve Wilson.

04:58 PM BST

Out come the teams

And time for the national anthems. Ukraine’s carrying more symbolism than anyone else’s at this tournament for obvious reasons.

04:56 PM BST

Weather watch

A thunderstorm in Stuttgart has broken the suffocating humidity of earlier in the day.

04:43 PM BST

The Don of liveblogging, Rob Smyth, is covering Slovakia vs Romania

And if there’s the merest whiff of Gijon, you can follow it here…

04:40 PM BST

Rebrov’s conservative selection

04:08 PM BST

Win, lose or draw?

03:57 PM BST

Belgium team news

One change – Leandro Trossard comes in for the suspended Dodi Lukebakio:

03:55 PM BST

Belgium have come as Tintin tonight

Here’s Thom Gibbs on the sartorial choices:

03:53 PM BST

Ukraine team news

Mykolenko fit enough to start and Yaremchuk, matchwinner from the bench against Slovakia, also in XI.

03:50 PM BST

Preview: Don’t think about Frankfurt, just win

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of one half of the denouement of Group E, aka ‘the gnat’s chuff’ quartet. All four teams are level on three points with Belgium in second place on a goal difference of plus one and Ukraine bottom on -2. Given the 24-team format allows six third-placed teams to go through, Ukraine’s goal difference means that they have to go out for a win because should Romania and Slovakia draw in Frankfurt – what do you mean Frankfurt-Gijón? – then both of them will go through with four points. Not that there’s any chance of a stitch-up there…

Nonetheless best for both sides today to go out and win just to be sure, which should make for an entertaining game which will be a respite after the boredom, bafflement and bile of last night. Belgium were unlucky against Slovakia, going down by virtue of a dumb handball call, and were driven on by a sterling Kevin De Bruyne performance to beat Romania on Saturday night. Ukraine, having been gubbed by Romania rallied superbly to beat Slovakia with Mykhailo Mudryk and Heorhii Sudakov playing well and a lovely finish from Roman Yaremchuk sealing the victory.

A point for Belgium would suffice but that will not infect their outlook, says head coach Domenico Tedesco. It’s not difficult or tough mentally,” he said. “I can’t tell you the recipe for drawing a game: we only play to win. We won’t worry about permutations, we want to win. If it comes to the last 10 minutes or so, we know what to do to hang on to a result, but from the start there is no confusion. We are setting out to win it.”

Ukraine’s head coach, Serhiy Rebrov ,has urged his players to pick up where they left off against Slovakia. “It’s important that all the players understand their roles and play for each other,” he said. “We need to get into the same mindset we had at the end of the game against Slovakia.”