Belgium started their Euro 2024 qualifications in an impressive manner, triumphing convincingly over Sweden at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.
In terms of goals scored, their victory was solely the work or Romelu Lukaku, who put the ball into the opposition net in the 35th, 49th, and 82nd minute, and there’s no place better to start than the hat-trick hero.
The Lukaku conundrum
Lukaku has been the subject of numerous articles in the media across Europe recently. Ditched by Chelsea practically for the second time in his career, and that after the London Blues paid around €115 million to bring him back in from Inter Milan in 2021, he returned to Inter on loan ahead of this season. His form since has been nowhere near as good as that of his previous stint at the club, when he helped the Nerazzurri win the 2020/21 Scudetto, and Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has already made it clear the 29-year-old would not be staying in Milan past the expiration of the current arrangement, acknowledging that he simply wasn’t the same player anymore.
Therefore, Lukaku will return to Chelsea, but what then?
It’s not very likely that situation there will be any different in terms of him being wanted at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have strengthened their attacking ranks significantly, and they’ll almost certainly be open to offers for Lukaku’s services. He’s been linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich recently, but whether those rumours hold any truth, remains to be seen.
Come what might, Lukaku delivered the perfect response to Marotta and everyone else who doubts his quality in Stockholm. Yes, his first goal was a free header and the other two were pretty simple tap-ins, but an important trait of a good striker is to know where to be in such situations and to take such chances when they come.
Belgian wingers
There were four Belgium players in this game who are wingers by default, and while the football world knows plenty about Leandro Trossard and Yannick Carrasco on the left, it was actually Dodi Lukebakio and Johan Bakayoko who dazzled more, attacking from the right.
Lukebakio started on the right side of the…
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