With goals from Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Alexis Saelemaekers, Belgium put a foot and a half in the Qatar 2022 World Cup by defeating the Czech Republic in Brussels (3-0) and moving away in the table the second classified of Group E access to the World Cup, with which he tied in March in Prague.
At the end of the fifth of ten days, Belgium is leading with 13 points, ahead of the Czech Republic (7), the only teams to have played five games. They are followed by Wales (6), Belarus (3) and Estonia (0) in a table in which only the former has direct access to Qatar.
The architects of the victory of the Red Devils were Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard. The new Chelsea striker celebrated his 100 games for the Belgium team, opening the scoring and scoring his 67th goal with the Belgian team. The Real Madrid attacker commanded and scored again almost two years after his last goal for Belgium.
Lukaku was cruel to the Czech goal. First, accidentally injuring goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik with a stomp on a split ball, with no ill intention on the part of the forward.
And then, destroying the net of the limping Vaclik in the 8th minute by taking advantage of a perfect pass from Hans Vanaken on the counterattack, this time with all the killer instinct in his boots.
The Czech goalkeeper did not recover and was replaced by Jindrich Stanek, who in his international debut lasted 27 minutes unbeaten. Those that elapsed until Eden Hazard, in the 41st minute, rose 2-0 to the scoreboard and scored his first goal for Belgium since November 2019.
After a new perfect pass from Vanaken, this time from the heel, Hazard executed a low shot close to the post and scored again with his team after a 22-month dry spell, weighed down by injuries. The Real Madrid forward found the goal reward he deserved and did not come in Thursday’s 5-2 win against Estonia.
The third, impeccably made, was signed in the 66th minute by the young Alexis Saelemaekers, who had entered shortly before by a discreet Carrasco on the night in which some 20,000 fans were allowed to enter the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. after more than a year behind closed doors due to the pandemic.
The 22-year-old Milan winger finished a precious team play in which Hazard handed the ball to Lukaku from the heel and Lukaku, once again with a heel strike, served Saelemaekers to score his first international goal.
Hazard and Lukaku were the pillars of Roberto Martínez’s Belgium who, without Kevin de Bruyne, dominated Jaroslav Silhavý’s Czech Republic from start to finish. The Czechs visited Thibaut Courtois’ area little when they did so they encountered a relentless goalkeeper.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper also signed a nice exit by dribbling outside the area to forward Matej Vydra, who was chasing a too short pass from Jans Vertonghen and which Courtois got rid of with class.
Belgium will face Belarus in Minsk next Wednesday while the Czech Republic has a rest day and will play a friendly against Ukraine.
Data sheet:
3 – Belgium: Courtois; Alderweireld, Denayer, Vertonghen; Castagne, Tielemans (Dedoncker, m.81), Witsel, Ferreira Carrasco (Saelemaekers, m.57); Vanaken (Lukebakio, m.81), Eden Hazard (Trossard, m.73), Lukaku (Batshuayi, m.81).
Selector: Roberto Martínez (ESP).
0 – Czech Republic: Vaclik; Mateju, Kalas, Kasa, Coufal; Holes, Hlozek (Wiesner), Barak (Kral, m.76), Souzek, Pesek (Zmrhal, m.66); Vydra (Tecl m.66).
Selectedr: Jaroslav Silhavý (CZE).
Goals: 1-0: Romelu Lukaku (m.8); 2-0: Eden Hazard (m.41); 3-0: Saelemaekers (m.65).
Referee: Michael Oliver (ING). He admonished the Belgians Vertonghen, Lukaku and Witsel (m.19) and the Czech Barak.
Indicendias: Match corresponding to matchday 5 of Group E qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, held at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels before some 20,000 spectators. EFE (HN)