LUKAKU WILL BE FIRED UP TO PUT ONE OVER KANE
ROMELU LUKAKU is a player who needs a target to motivate him. The prospect of pipping Harry Kane to the Golden Boot will have him fired up and raring to go. This was a personal battle we were denied in the group stage when both managers made wholesale changes, but there is plenty at stake for the pair this afternoon. When he was still at Everton in March last year, Lukaku (right) said there was nothing he could learn from Kane. He will be eager to prove he is top dog in Russia — and win the bronze medal in the process. I was disappointed with the Manchester United forward’s performance in the semi-final against France. He touched the ball just 22 times — the fewest of any player who started the match — and did not look sharp in front of goal. Lukaku seemed at his most threatening when he played wide on the right in the quarter-final against Brazil. He was a thorn in the side of Marcelo. For the semi-final, he was back playing through the middle and was not as effective. Playing on the right will give him the best chance of winning the Golden Boot.