All to play for as Romania and Slovakia vow not to settle for draw

Frankfurt, Germany : Slovakia and Romania meet in Frankfurt on Wednesday knowing victory will secure a place in the last-16 of Euro 2024, but in the tightest of pools, a draw could send both teams through.

Group E is on a knife-edge, with all four teams on three points, though Romania (+1 goal-difference) sit on top on goals scored from Belgium (also +1), followed by Slovakia (+0) and Ukraine (-2).

Romania will advance in the top two if they avoid defeat, while victories for Belgium over Ukraine and Slovakia will leave the Romanians sweating on advancing as one of the best third-place finishers.

A draw in Frankfurt would give both teams an excellent chance of going through, but Romania forward Valentin Mihaila rejected suggestions that both teams might settle for a point from the start.

"You can't go into a match mentally as a player, as a team, with the thought of drawing," he told reporters. "If it is 0-0 in the 91st minute and the tied score qualifies us both, yes ... but I don't want to do calculations.

"We have to go in with the mindset of winning the game and I think we can do that."

Romania coach Edward Iordanescu could select the same XI that lost 2-0 to Belgium in their second pool game, though whether Mihaila starts ahead of Florinel Coman is a matter for debate. Coman got the nod in the opening 3-0 win over Ukraine.

Slovakia impressed in a surprise 1-0 win over pool favourites Belgium in their opening game, but let a lead slip to lose 2-1 to Ukraine in their second with shades of Euro 2020.

On that occasion they beat Poland 1-0, lost to Sweden by the same scoreline in their second fixture, and when they were routed 5-0 by Spain in their final match, finished third in the pool with three points and did not advance