Lukaku’s goal tribute to his pal Christian
ONLY Romelu Lukaku knows what was going through his head in the minutes after his friend and Inter Milan team-mate Christian Eriksen collapsed during the Group B opener between Denmark and Finland yesterday.
The same goes for Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, who have spent much of their careers playing alongside Eriksen at Ajax and Tottenham.
As the world anxiously waited for news on Eriksen, just imagine how the three Belgians were feeling as they tried to prepare for their country’s first group game against Russia in St Petersburg.
A year’s delay for Euro 2020, months of build-up, weeks of preparation and suddenly they were in turmoil as the horrific events unfolded in Copenhagen.
The Denmark-Finland match was abandoned and for a while it felt as though this game wouldn’t go ahead in the circumstances either. How could it?
But then, mercifully, y, more positive news s emerged on Eriksen’s condition. The game in Denmark would resume and Belgium-Russia was on as well.
Even so, it was a horrible situation for r Eriksen’s friends. ‘We We all are a wa r e , ’ said Belgium manager Roberto Martinez before kick-off.
‘ It was a real shock. We have team-mates in that dressing-room and players who have shared a lot of time with Eriksen, so straight away there is a real sense to send our empathy. We hope he has a full speed of recovery.’
Vertonghen still looked in a state of shock i n the tunnel before ki ck- of f , and Lukaku headed straight for the nearest television camera after putting Belgium ahead in the 10th minute, turning to score with a left- foot shot after Andrei Semenov’s blunder in front of goal had both gifted the former Manchester United striker the ball and played him onside. ‘Chris, Chris, I love you!’ shouted Lukaku down the lens.
As ever at times like this when events on the football field veer towards tragedy and a man’s life hangs in the balance, everything else pales into insignificance.
Certainly, Martinez and his players will be relieved to get this game out of the way. It had not been the easiest build-up for the world’s No 1 ranked team anyway.
Kevin De Bruyne was missing from their opening group game with the facial injury he suffered for Manchester City in the Champions League final defeat against Chelsea and so too Axel Witsel as he recovered from a ruptured achilles.
Eden Hazard, another of Belgium’s key men, was kept on the bench for more than 71 minutes after another wretched season at Real Madrid. Martinez then lost Timothy Castagne inside half an hour when the Leicester City player was involved in a sickening clash of heads with Daler Kuzyaev who was also forced off.
By then, Belgium were well in control of t he game. Despite Lukaku’s early strike — his 61st goal in 94 games — they were forced to weather a difficult start which was perhaps not that surprising in the circumstances.
Mario Fernandes could have done better t han direct his header straight at Thibaut Courtois from a corner and Magomed Ozdoev fired wide after being set up by Artem Dzyuba, the Russian dangerman who was involved in more goals in qualifying than any player except England skipper Harry Kane.
However, Belgium r egained control and it was no surprise when Thomas Meunier scored their second goal in the 34th minute.
Lukaku had threatened again when he powered past Georgi Dzhikiya who produced an excellent tackle to prevent the big striker getting a shot off. Goalkeeper Anton Shunin then rushed off his line to thwart Thorgen Hazard.
But when Hazard sent i n an inswinging cross from the left, Shunin appeared to be put off by the three players who challenged for it and pushed the ball out to the edge of the six-yard box instead of catching it.
Meunier, on as a substitute for Castagne, turned the ball into the empty net left-footed.
Lukaku made it 3-0 in the 89th minute, accelerating away from Igor Diveev to rifle home.
BELGIUM (3-4-3): Courtois; Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen (Vermaelen 77min); Castagne (Meunier 27), Dendoncker, Tielemans, T Hazard; Mertens (E Hazard 72), Lukaku, Carrasco (Praet 77). Subs (not used): Mignolet, Sels, Denayer, Benteke, Chadli, Batshuayi, Trossard, Doku. RUSSIA (4-2-3-1): Shunin; F Fernandes, Semenov, Dzhikiya, Zhirkov (Karavaev 43); Barinov (Diveev 45), Ozdoev; Zobnin (Mukhin 63), Golovin, Kuzyaev (Cheryshev 29, Al Miranchuk 63), Dzyuba. Subs (not used): Sobolev, Zabolotny, Dyupin, Safonov, Zhemaletdinov, Ionov, Evgeniev, Mukhin. Referee: A Lahoz (Spain).