Belgium v Slovakia predictions: Red Devils can coast to comfortable win

Kick-off time: Monday 17 June, 17:00, Frankfurt

Belgium are hot favourites to take top spot in Group E and they can get their Euro 2024 campaign off to a winning start when they face outsiders Slovakia in Frankfurt on Monday.

Time is eating away at the Red Devils’ golden generation and their dismal group-stage elimination at the World Cup 18 months ago is fresh in the memory. 

However, a few members remain and Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku give Belgium a fighting chance in Germany, with the prolific striker tipped to get them off to a flyer in their Group E opener.

Lukaku scored twice in a 3-0 win over Luxembourg last Saturday to take his tally to a phenomenal 85 goals in 115 appearances for his country, and the 32-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down.

He was top scorer in Euro 2024 qualifying with 14 goals - four more than second-best Cristiano Ronaldo - and he heads to Germany after of a solid season with Roma in which he scored 21 goals in all competitions.

Lukaku has found the net 17 times in 11 appearances for Belgium since the start of 2023 and he will fancy his chances of making a run for the Golden Boot this summer. He could be in dangerous form at the Frankfurt Arena.

The Chelsea outcast is far from Belgium’s only star and the rest of Domenico Tedesco's contingent can play a supporting role in helping them to a comfortable win in their opener.

Belgium were eliminated by eventual winners Italy in the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, but prior to that they had won all four of their games, conceding just one goal in the process. Slovakia put four past Wales in their most recent warm-up friendly, but should find these opponents will be a far tougher nut to crack.

The Sokoli put in a solid performance in qualifying, losing only to Group J winners Portugal and coasting to second place, but they lack the firepower to trouble top teams on a consistent basis.

They scored only 17 goals in ten matches in a group that also included Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Liechtenstein and their last showing at the European Championships saw them lose to nil twice in three attempts as they crashed out at the group stage.

Francesco Colzona is now without long-standing talisman Marek Hamsik following his retirement last year and their top scorer is 37-year-old midfielder Juraj Kucka, who has found the net 14 times in 107 appearances.

Main striker Robert Bozenik has just seven goals in 40 appearances and he could struggle to inspire Slovakia to a goal against a Belgium outfit who have won to nil in five of their last six matches.