Lukaku to the four
Romelu Lukaku nets his fourth goal of the World Cup as Belgium swept Tunisia aside yesterday.
Belgium set down a marker for England with an emphatic victory over the side Gareth Southgate’s men struggled to beat in their own World Cup opener.
Roberto Martinez’s team built on their 3-0 win over Panama by sweeping aside Tunisia, building up an impressive goal difference that will probably mean England will have to win their next two games to top their group.
Belgium are still not technically into the knock-out phase, but will be unless England lose to Panama this afternoon.
Lukaku’s two goals made it four so far in Russia, making him a frontrunner for the Golden Boot. Harry Kane is going to have to go some to catch both him and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Eden Hazard also got two, the first a penalty, to ensure this was the most convincing performance of all the fancied nations so far at this World Cup.
That blistering opening 20 minutes aside, England laboured to beat Tunisia last Monday, needing a last-gasp Kane header to secure the points.
There were no such difficulties for Belgium, who showed all the signs of living up to the “Golden Generation” tag on an afternoon in Moscow when all their big names came to the party.
Tunisia are as good as out, relying on England getting beaten twice and a massive victory for themselves over Panama.
Belgium took a leaf out of England’s book and went at Tunisia from the off.
Five minutes in, American ref Jair Marrufo gave a penalty for a challenge on Hazard by Syam Ben Youssef as the Chelsea man chased Dries Mertens’ pass into the box.
The Tunisians protested the foul was outside the box, but VAR confirmed the initial decision and Hazard rolled the ball confidently into the corner.
The skipper missed a glorious chance to bag his second in the 13th minute, fluffing his shot after being set up by Lukaku, the man he criticised for going missing in the first half against Panama.
Lukaku, though, buried his first chance in the 16th minute, seizing on Mertens’ pass and drilling in across the keeper.
But, just as the North Africans recovered after that early pounding by England, they also showed some resilience against the Belgians.
Two minutes after going two down, Tunisia hit back when Dylan Bronn exposed poor central defensive play and nodded in Wahbi Khazri’s free-kick.
Yannick Carrasco’s shot was saved by Ben Mustapha, then Lukaku wasted an opportunity with a heavy first touch. Alex Witsel failed to hit the target after a defensive error and Lukaku couldn’t stretch to convert a Kevin De Bruyne pass.
However, Lukaku restored the two-goal cushion in stoppage time by clipping in Meunier’s pass to make it 17 in his last 11 internationals.
Six minutes into the second half, Hazard collected a pass from Toby Alderweireld, rounded the keeper and tucked in the fourth and his own second.
Lukaku’s prospects of a hattrick ended in the 59th minute when Martinez replaced him with Marouane Fellaini as a precaution against an ankle knock.
Neither was there to be a hattrick for Hazard, Martinez taking him off in the 68th minute.
His replacement, Michy Batshuayi, had the chances to score his own hat-trick inside five minutes, but didn’t take any.
In the 76th minute, Meriah turned his weak shot off the line, then he blasted against the bar from five yards after the keeper failed to hold a Carrasco shot.
Seconds later, he brought a brilliant save out of Ben Mustapha when he caught De Bruyne’s cross on the volley.
He did get one in the 90th minute, finishing off Youri Tielemans’ cross low into the corner, before Khazri bagged a scant consolation for Tunisia.