European Championship Final 1980 — Belgium 1 West Germany 2 — Match Report 2nd half

Welcome back to the Stadio Olimpico for the second half of this European Championship final.

No changes made by either coach, so we are as we were. The first 10 minutes of the second half are without much incident, as both teams probe each other looking for a weakness.

Then, on 55 minutes, Briegel suffers an ankle injury in a tackle from Vandereycken. The Kaiserslautern defender tries to run it off but eventually succumbs to his injury and is replaced by Bernhard Cullmann.

It is a hot evening here in Rome. The effect is that when each team doesn’t have the ball, its midfield is dropping back into a more defensive position. So when either team turns over the ball, there is then a lot of space to run into.

Shortly after Briegel’s substitution, Eric Gerets has an attempt on the West German goal from about 10 yards outside the box, but it is a tame, low effort and is dragged well wide of Schumacher’s right-hand post.

Van Moer is seeing more of the ball now in midfield for Belgium, linking up the play well between defence and attack — but still no breakthrough.

On 59 minutes, Karl-Heinz Förster receives a yellow card for a late challenge on Jan Ceulemans. Ceulemans looks out on his feet already, and that injury is not going to help him.

Belgium Growing Stronger

Belgium are now doing most of the pressing, looking for that equaliser. West Germany are not playing the ball around as well as they were in the first half and are more often than not now looking for a longer ball.

It’s interesting to see how Gerets likes to get forward for Belgium, often taking up a position centrally outside the West German penalty area.

Around the 65th minute, Bernd Schuster tries his luck from well outside the penalty area, but again it sails high and wide of Pfaff’s goal.

In terms of action, this second half has been disappointing so far. West Germany are happy to hold their lead, and Belgium are not able to carve an opening of their own.

😱 A Golden Chance Missed

Then, around the 68th minute — a golden opportunity for Belgium and their captain, Julien Cools.

The move starts with Millecamps striding from central defence into West German territory. The ball falls to Cools on the edge of the West German penalty area, on the right side. He breaks a weak tackle from Stielike and is into the penalty area. He now has two good options:

1. Advance on the West German goal and shoot from the corner of the six-yard box
2. Play the ball across the six-yard box to Van der Elst, who is unmarked between two West German defenders

He does neither, however — instead playing the ball back to Ceulemans near the penalty spot, who is crowded out and easily dispossessed. The chance goes begging.

While Schumacher has not been seriously troubled in the second half yet, West Germany will be worried that they have not been able to create any openings of their own, while Belgium’s threat increases.

🧨 Penalty Drama in the Eternal City

Then, on 75 minutes — high drama. Controversial drama.

Van der Elst is running towards the West German penalty area after a mistake by Manfred Kaltz. Stielike slides in and seems to make contact with the Belgian player outside the box before he falls in the penalty area.

The referee, though, points to the spot for the penalty, and the linesman does not overrule him. Despite vociferous West German protest, the Romanian referee sticks by his decision and Vandereycken has the opportunity to equalise for Belgium from the penalty spot.

Goal! And score he does. He strikes the ball into the bottom right-hand corner, and Schumacher dives the other way.

A lifeline for Belgium. It’s now game on again.

🔁 Game Opens Up — End-to-End Stuff

How will both teams react? Will the West Germans’ rightful feeling of injustice spur them on, or will Belgium build on the momentum to carry them home for a famous victory?

Shortly after the equaliser, Belgium have a great opportunity to go ahead. They break from a West German corner. Ceulemans lays the ball out wide inside the Belgian half to Julien Cools, who plays the ball beautifully first time over the head of the West German defence into the path of Van der Elst — just to the right of the D of the penalty area.

He would be in on goal, but Stielike redeems himself from the penalty incident by coming across and heading the ball away as Van der Elst tries to lob it over his head.

🌪️ Rummenigge’s Moment Almost Arrives

Just after that, Rummenigge gets clear for once down the right-hand side of the Belgian penalty area. He rides one challenge and gets to the byline inside the box. He is stretching with his cross and tries to find Hrubesch inside the six-yard box, but it is too high for the West German, and his headed effort loops gratefully into the hands of the Belgian keeper.

The game is opening up more now. Tired legs, tired minds. Can either team snatch victory before extra time?

Both teams certainly seem to be going for the win.

On 85 minutes, we see a flash of Rummenigge’s skill again. In the first half, Allofs had been coming deeper to get on the ball, but now it is Rummenigge who evades the attentions of Millecamps with a clever turn on the left side, halfway inside the Belgian half.

Suddenly, there is space in front of him as he bursts past Gerets and then Meeuws to get himself into the Belgian box on the left side, with Pfaff rushing out to narrow the angle.

The keeper does that successfully — to the left of the six-yard box — but not before Rummenigge can square the ball, looking to pick out the run of Hansi Müller for an easy tap-in.

But left-back Michel Renquin does excellently to cover across and clear the effort before Müller can get a shot off.

The game is swinging now from side to side.

Van Moer has loads of space in the centre of midfield. He picks out the run of Vandereycken behind a — for once — flat West German defence, but Förster has positioned himself well in the centre to cut out the intended pass for Van der Elst.

The tension in the stadium is now palpable. Both sets of fans know that any lapse in concentration — any mistake — could be fatal to their team.

As mentioned earlier, a feature of Belgium’s play has been getting their defenders forward. This time, Millecamps, about 10 yards outside the West German penalty area, lays the ball square to Mommens, who has time to gather himself and shoot from about 25 yards out.

The shot is going wide, but Schumacher takes no chances and pushes it out for a corner kick.

🧱 Belgium’s Wall Crumbles at the Last

Into the final five minutes of the 90, and it is West Germany who seem to have the longer stride when on the ball.

Then, in the 89th minute of the game — GOAL!

As players, fans, and coaches prepare for extra time, West Germany win a corner, which Rummenigge takes. It drops centrally on the edge of the six-yard box. Pfaff tries to come for it, but there is a wall of Belgian and West German players in front of him, preventing him from getting a touch — but not stopping Hrubesch from leaping and heading the ball into the centre of the goal.

A last-gasp goal for the West Germans. Despair for Belgium. Surely there is not enough time to come back.

And a winner it is — with the referee playing two minutes of added time before blowing his whistle.

West Germany have their second European Championship in three tournaments.

For Belgium, a valiant effort ends in defeat. They can return home with their heads held high — but it will be little consolation for the players, having come so close to tasting victory after having given so much.

It ends here at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome — Belgium 1, West Germany 2.