Romelu Lukaku scored three goals in the Red Devils’ triumph. (AFP)
Belgium started with good feelings in the debut of Domenico Tedesco as coach by winning this Friday 3-0 in Sweden, on the first day of group F of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Romelu Lukakuwith a hat-trick (35, 48 and 83 minutes), was the decisive man of the match for a Belgium with new faces and renewed illusions.
The other proper name of the night was Swedish Zlatan Ibrahimovicwho could not score or help his team to score, but who came into play after 73 minutes became the oldest player (41 years, 5 months and 21 days) to play a match in the qualifying phase for the Eurocupimproving the Italian’s record by two and a half months Dino Zoffwhich had been in force since 1983.
Winning at the home of their theoretically strongest rival in group F, Belgium sends a message of authority and is tied at 3 points at the top of the table with Austriawho beat Azerbaijan 4-1.
THE FIRST CAME FROM THE HEIGHTS! Great cross from Lukebakio and a scoring header from Lukaku for the 1-0 win for Belgium vs. Sweden.
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– SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 24, 2023
But above all, the Italian-German Domenico Tedesco He started off on the right foot in his debut game, after the end of the long spell of Spanish Roberto Martínez, the current Portugal coach.
‘Bob’ had left the Belgian bench after the great disappointment of the 2022 World Cup, where the team unexpectedly said goodbye in the group stage.
At the start of the game it was Sweden that came closest to taking the lead, especially when Dejan Kulusevski sent a shot at 15′ that Thibaut Courtois touched without being able to prevent it from going past him, but he just hit the line and saved at the last moment defender Wout Faes.
ROMELU’S SCORING GOAL! De Bruyne played short for Lukebakio and the man from Hertha Berlin enabled Lukaku to push her in the 2-0 vs. Sweden.
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– SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 24, 2023
Lukebakio, the brain
Faes himself was about to score for Belgium in minute 26, with a header from a corner kick, and the first goal for the ‘Red Devils’ -who wore white on this occasion- came in minute 35, when Lukaku finished off head to the net a measured center of dodi lukebakio.
At the start of the second half, the formula was repeated: this time Lukebakio sent a deadly pass from the baseline that Lukaku (48) simply pushed into the net inside the small area, just a few centimeters from the line.
Ibrahimovic’s entry into play at 73′ didn’t change anything and Sweden couldn’t get back into the game.
On the contrary, Belgium signed the third and definitive one in the 83rd minute, this time after a fast run from Johan Bakayoko, who sent another assist that Lukaku converted in the 3-0 at the Friends Arena in Solna.
HE TAKES THE BALL! Bakayoko broke away on the right and enabled Lukaku to score his Hat-Trick vs. Sweden.
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– SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 24, 2023
Lukaku has 71 goals with Belgium and above all, breaks a long drought with his teamsince he had not scored since a duel against France on October 7, 2021.
Belgium will not play in the second day of the group and will take the opportunity to visit Germany on Tuesday in a friendly. Sweden will receive Azerbaijan for its part, in another match valid for the Eurocup qualifiers, in which both teams will try to react after the defeats this Friday.
