Lukaku, Hazard score 2 apiece as rollicking Belgium put 5 past Tunisia

Hazard and Lukaku scored twice and Batshuayi chipped in with one goal for Belgium while Bronn headed one in from a free-kick for Tunisia. Wahbi Khazri grabbed a late consolation goal for Tunisia.

Belgium look to register a second consecutive win and book their spot in the knockout rounds when they take on Tunisia in a Group G match of the  FIFA World Cup 2018 at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow on Saturday.

Full-time match report: By the full time, Belgium had scored five goals against Tunisia. And, they could have easily scored more. Three, four, five.. such was the talent on display. They had 22 attempts at goal and 13 of them on target. To give you a context, Michy Batshuayi, who entered the field in the 71st minute could have scored five goals had he converted his chances. In the end, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard scored a brace while Batshuayi also got a goal. And, although Tunisia didn't cave in and scored two goals of their own, they were no match for the golden generation of Belgium who dazzled the Spartak Stadium in Moscow today in a Group G match of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

The match was a cracker right from the beginning. Belgium started in a 3-4-3 and Tunisia lined up in a 4-3-3. The first action of the game came very early, at the fifth minute, when Tunisia's Syam Ben Youssef brought down Hazard inside the box. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and while the Tunisians appealed for a VAR, which they got, Belgium was awarded the penalty and Hazard converted from the spot to make it 1-0.

Tunisia responded positively to going down a goal and kept bombing forward. But, it was the Belgians who scored the next goal too when, in the 16th minute, Mertens found Lukaku on the inside-left channel with a through-ball. The Manchester United striker took a touch before firing a low shot into the bottom right-hand-side to double his side's lead.

Tunisia responded almost immediately and in the 18th minute, they got a free-kick just outside the Belgium box. Khazri stood over the free-kick and sent the ball inside the box where Bronn rose the highest to meet the delivery and head it into the bottom right. However, Bronn's joy was short-lived as minutes after scoring his team's opener he suffered an injury and was taken out on a stretcher. Similar fate befell Ben Youssef who was substituted out in the 40th minute.

Belgium added insult to the injury late into the first half with a Lukaku goal. Meunier glided from the right and dinked a pass to Luakku who clipped the ball over the Tunisian keeper to score his second goal of the match. By the end of the first half, Belgians were clearly dominating but Tunisia weren't backing off either.

Hazard almost killed the match off when in the 51st minute, he received a sublime pass from midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, outran the Tunisian defenders, took a deft touch to get round and past goalkeeper Ben Mustapha and slot it into the empty net. Both Lukaku and Hazard were substituted off within the next 20 minutes with Roberto Martinez looking to give valuable rest to his star players after the match was essentially won for Belgium.

Michy Batshuayi had a frustating few moments after coming in when his repeated attempts at goals were either saved or flew outside the target. He did get his goal in the 90th minute when another substitute Youri Tielemans put a beautiful from the right side to the far end. Batshuayi practically threw himself at the delivery and poked a left-footed sliding strike into the bottom right to make it five for the evening for Belgium.

With just a few minutes remaining, the action-packed game had one more remarkable moment to offer as Tunisia bagged their second goal in the 93rd minute. Nagguez, after bombing forward from the right flank, cut the ball back for Khazri, who guided the ball into the far corner.

With this win, Belgium have as good as sealed their entry into the Round of 16 while Tunisia will most probably have to pack their bags and head home. In other news, Lukaku now joins Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the Golden Boot standings with four goals. The golden generation of Belgium finally seem to be clicking and it's bad news for other likely contenders for the World Cup.

Live updates:

Minute 92--Tunisia pulls one back in the dying moments of extra-time. Final score 5-2!

Minute 90-- Batshuayi finally gets his goal. He connects a beautiful cross from Tielemans finishing it off with a left footer. 

Minute 85 -- Belgium substitution. Youri Tielemans comes in for Mertens.

Minute 81 -- It's seemingly not Batshuayi's day. De Bruyne delivers a cross from the by-line to Batshuayi who is left all alone inside the box. The striker takes a scissor kick only for the goalkeeper to bat it away. Batshuayi tries again but it sails over the bar after maybe taking a deflection.

Minute 79 -- Batshuayi! What's happening? Carrasco is fed inside the box from the right. The winger takes a shot but the goalkeeper fumbles it. Batshuayi is there to pounce on the rebound, only for the ball to bounce off the crossbar.

Minute 75 -- Batushuayi denied!! What a save. The Belgian striker rounds-off the goalkeeper before chipping the ball. It's goal-bound but only for Tunisia's Meriah to kick it away just before it crossed the goal-line. Great save!

Minute 74 -- Batshuayi nearly gets his first of the match. De Bruyne releases the substitute one-on-one with the Tunisian goalkeeper who rushes off his line to cut off the supply in time.

Minute 67 -- Substitution for Belgium. Michy Batshuayi replaces captain Eden Hazard.

Minute 64 -- Tunisia are probing. They have been near the Belgium box for quite a long duration now but they just can't find their second goal.

Minute 61 -- Carassco with a curler from the edge of the box on the right but it misses the target.

Minute 58 -- Lukaku makes way for Fellaini. For Tunisia, Sassi is replaced with Sliti. 

Minute 56 -- Sassi sends a looping shot over Courtois, who is way off his line. But his shot narrowly misses the target.

The Belgians attack down the other end, and Carrasco is released down the left but he can't put his cross across.

Minute 51 (GOAL!!) -- De Bruyne with a sublime pass from his own half releases Hazard who outruns the Tunisian defenders. He takes a touch around goalkeeper Ben Mustapha and slots into the empty net.


Minute 49 -- Khazri whips a pass down the left and nearly releases Badri. Tunisia attack again. Badri threads a pass through the middle for Khaoui. But Boyata hooks away just as the Tunisian midfielder prepares to pull the trigger.

Half-time analysis:

Belgium are rollicking and Tunisia are the ones bearing the brunt in Group G match of the FIFA World Cup 2018 at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow today with Romelu Lukaku scoring a brace and Hazard scoring one. That is not to say that Tunisia have been playing second-fiddle. They have attacked too and in fact, pulled one goal back with Bronn with a header. But, that was before Lukaku's second came late in the first half's injury time and Tunisia, who have already lost two of their four starting defenders, may find it difficult to turn it around after going down 2 goals against a Belgium side who seem on song.

Minute 45+3 (GOAL!!) -- Meunir glides in from the right, then links a pass through for Lukaku inside the box who clips the ball over the Tunisian keeper to score his second goal. 

Minute 45+2: Meunir recovers the ball deep in his own half before passing it to Hazard who skips past a couple Tunisian players and passes it to de Bruyne. The midfielder crosses it low towards Lukaku who is just short of tapping it in.

Minute 40 (Substitution)-- More injury problems for Tunisia as Ben Youssef is taken out on a stretcher by the medical team with Ben Alouane replacing him.

Minute 32 --  Khazri takes a curler from outside the box. Courtois fumbles the ball before collecting it again.

Minute 30 -- Now it's Tunisia's turn. Sassi gets the ball outside the box. He lets it bounce once before taking a shot wide left from around 20 yards.

Minute 26 -- Lukaku very nearly gets his second and Belgium's third. De Bruyne releases him down the inside right. The striker's first-touch is a tad too heavy and the Tunisia goalkeeper, who is off his line, comfortably collects the ball.

Minute 23 (Substitution)-- Minutes after scoring for Tunisia, Bronn is out on a stretcher. He is substituted with Naguez. The Tunisian goalkeeper looks to have turned his knee in the turf.

Minute 19-- Belgium look to attack down the other end as soon as the game starts. Carrasco meets Meunier's cross and connects the half-volley which the Tunisia goalkeeper parries. Mertens can't take benefit of the rebound. What a start to the game!

Minute 18 (GOAL!!-- Bronn) -- Tunisia respond very very quickly with Bronn. They get a free-kick just outside the Belgium box. Khazi takes the free-kick and Bronn rises the highest inside the box to meet it and head it into the bottom right. Game on!!

Minute 16 (GOAL!!-- Lukaku) -- Mertens finds Lukaku on the inside-left channel with a through-ball. The striker takes a touch before firing a low shot into the bottom right-hand side. Belgium 2- Tunisia 0

Minute 6 (GOAL!!) -- Hazard takes the penalty-kick and sends his shot to the bottom left corner while Ben Mustapha dives the wrong way. Belgium 1 Tunisia 0.

Minute 5 -- VAR moment! Hazard is brought down in the box by Syam Ben Youssef and the refree points to the spot. The Tunisian players appeal for VAR, which the refree eventually takes but the decision remains unchanged.

Peeeeeeeppppp!! And.. we're off!


Trivia:

-- Eden Hazard has been directly involved in 22 goals in his last 21 appearances for Belgium, scoring 10 and assisting a further 12. (Source: OptaJoe)

-- No Belgium player has scored more goals at World Cups or European Championships than Romelu Lukaku (6 - level with Jan Ceulemans). (Source: OptaJoe)

-- There were just 109 seconds between Belgium's second goal and Tunisia pulling one back through Dylan Bronn. (Source: OptaJoe)

-- There have been 13 penalties in this World Cup (27 games), already as many as in the entire 2014 World Cup (64 games). (Source: OptaJoe)

-- Romelu Lukaku has now scored more goals in World Cups and European Championships than any other Belgium player in history. (Source: OptaJoe)

-- Romelu Lukaku has scored four goals this #WorldCup, more than any other Belgian player has managed in a single tournament. (Source: OptaJoe)

-- Romelu Lukaku is the first player with 2+ goals in consecutive #WorldCup games since Diego Maradona in 1986 (v England & Belgium). (Source: OptaJoe)

-- Belgium are the first team to have two different players score 2+ goals in a World Cup game since Germany against Brazil in 2014 (Toni Kroos and Andre Schurrle in a 7-1 win). (Source: OptaJoe)

--  Belgium have scored five goals in a single World Cup match for the first time in their history. (Source: OptaJoe)

Line-ups out:

Belgium play in a 3-4-3 formation against Tunisia's 4-3-3

Preview: Belgium vs Tunisia

The talented Belgium squad are the favourites in the group and they gave ample glimpses of their class in a comfortable 3-0 win over Panama in their campaign opener. The Belgians want to win to avoid making their final group game against England on June 28 a make-or-break qualification affair.

Star centre-forward Romelu Lukaku scored twice in that game and his height and physical presence should be useful against the physically strong Tunisia defence.

The Belgians boast a number of stars in their line-up including the likes of star Chelsea winger Eden Hazard and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

However, it will not be easy going for Belgium against Tunisia, who have a strong defence and are well organised in midfield.

The north Africans gave England a tough time in their first match. The English line-up, studded with Premier League stars, was effectively blunted by the Tunisia defence.

The Tunisian midfield also did well, consistently winning the 50-50 balls and doing well when in possession. However, they fell short in the final third due to the poor quality of the final pass.

Despite their shortcomings up-front, Tunisia seemed good enough to come away with a point. It was the silly conceding of a corner in second-half injury time and some poor marking of England's star striker Harry Kane at the far post that kept them from what would have been a well-deserved draw.

Tunisia will be keen to avoid such mistakes against the higher rated Belgians. They will miss the service of goalkeeper Mouez Hassen, who has returned home to undergo surgery on an injured shoulder.

Despite his team's dominant performance in the first match, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez is not ready to take Tunisia lightly.

"They have a lot of bravery and they're very dynamic," he said of Tunisia.

"The players have a good understanding between each other and they can bring energy and intensity on counterattacks. They play direct, efficient football," Martinez told FIFA.com.

England looming

Hazard, whose younger brother Thorgan is also in a squad considered to be Belgium's best for decades, is aware of the thirst for success back home.

"We knew it before the tournament. People say that Belgium would win every game but it's not that simple," said Hazard.

"We want to win, we won the first game and have another one Saturday against Tunisia. We take it game after game."

Belgium, ranked third in the world, reached the quarter-finals of Brazil 2014 and are aiming to match their previous best of reaching the semi-finals at Mexico 1986.

There was some good news for Martinez on Thursday when Barcelona centre-back Thomas Vermaelen trained for the first time in Russia.

Likewise, Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, who like Vermaelen is 32, is expected to return on Friday.

However, Tunisia will not make life easy for Belgium as they seek to provide a bright spot in a poor World Cup for African sides, with Egypt and Morocco already out.

"We lost a battle, but not the war," said Tunisian forward Fakhreddine Ben Youssef of the England game.

After their defeat to England with Harry Kane's 91st-minute header, their coach Nabil Maaloul wants a focused display in their bid to shock Belgium.

"If we had got a draw it would have been an excellent result for us (against England), but hopefully this will lead to higher levels of concentration in the coming games," said Maaloul.

Belgium vs Tunisia: Head-to-head facts

This will be the fourth meeting between Belgium and Tunisia, with both nations winning one game and sharing one draw.

Belgium's Dries Mertens scored the only goal the last time the two sides met in a friendly in 2014.

This is their second meeting at a World Cup - they previously drew 1-1 in the 2002 group stage.

When and Where to watch: Belgium vs Tunisia

Time: 5:30 PM (IST)

In today's Group G match, Belgium vs Tunisia match will take place in Moscow on Saturday, June 23, 2018, at 5:30 PM (IST).

Belgium vs Tunisia match will be broadcast on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD in English Commentary and Sony Ten 3 and Sony 3 HD in Hindi Commentary.

Belgium vs Tunisia match will be available for live streaming on Sony Liv also. And Both Airtel and Jio would broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2018 matches for free to their respective subscribers.

Belgium vs Tunisia: Watch out for

Romelu Lukaku: Romelu Lukaku scored two well-taken goals against Panama in Belgium's World Cup opener. The Manchester United forward is likely to start in Moscow, and his physical presence will be useful as he goes up against an equally physical Tunisia side. 

Eden Hazard: Eden Hazard will have a decisive say on the contest against Tunisia. The Chelsea playmaker on the attack is going to give the Tunisian defence some sleepless nights. 

Belgium vs Tunisia squads:

Tunisia Probable Team

Mustapha, Bronn, S Ben Youssef, Meriah, Maaloul, Skhiri, F Ben Youssef, Sassi, Badri, Sliti, Khazri

Belgium Probable Team

Courtois, Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen, Meunier, De Bruyne, Witsel, Ferreira Carrasco, Mertens, Hazard, Lukaku