On June 27th, Group E of the European Championship concluded, with Belgium drawing 0-0 against Ukraine and Slovakia drawing 1-1 against Romania. All four teams finished with 4 points, but Ukraine was eliminated from the Round of 16 due to an inferior goal difference. This makes them the first team in the history of the 24-team European Championship to be eliminated despite having 4 points.
Group E has been considered the most competitive group in this tournament, with all teams possessing similar strengths. Ukraine suffered a disappointing loss in their opening match, falling 0-3 to Romania. They then bounced back with a 2-1 comeback win against Slovakia. In the final round, Ukraine needed to defeat Belgium to secure their qualification to the Round of 16, otherwise, their fate would be in the hands of others.
Ultimately, despite giving their all, Ukraine failed to secure a victory, drawing 0-0 with Belgium. With Slovakia and Romania drawing, all four teams ended up with 4 points, but Ukraine’s negative goal difference led to their elimination.
Since the expansion of the European Championship to 24 teams in 2016, it was unprecedented for a team to accumulate 4 points and still fail to advance to the knockout stage. This unfortunate event creates a new, embarrassing record for Ukraine. It’s even more frustrating for them to see Denmark and Slovenia from Group B, with only 3 points, still manage to advance to the knockout stage.
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