Belgium 3-0 Russia: Lukaku on target as Red Devils start impressively

Belgium beat Russia 2-0 in their opening Euro 2020 encounter to live up to their billing as one of the favourites for the competition. Goals...

Belgium beat Russia 2-0 in their opening Euro 2020 encounter to live up to their billing as one of the favourites for the competition.

Goals from Romelu Lukaku and Thomas Meunier in the opening half gave them a platform to play a more measured second period as they went unchallenged against a poor Russia outfit. Lukaku got another late on.

Artem Dzyuba

S

Russia

5.6

Russian hopes at Euro 2020 lie with the bulky figure of Artem Dzyuba, who so often mismatches defenders using his sheer size. Against Belgium, he was the player who was bullied. Peripheral to the match, he offered none of the bullishness his coach would have expected.

Thomas Meunier

D

Belgium

8.7

A winger before he was converted to a right-back, Thomas Meunier is perfectly built for playing a wing-back role. He was an early replacement for Timothy Castagne but did not miss a beat in this encounter, getting into a very advanced position to tap in the second goal, which effectively settled the match.

Romelu Lukaku

S

Belgium

8.5

Romelu Lukaku arrived at Euro 2020 full of confidence after a brilliant season with Inter, where he helped the club to the Serie A title. He continued his prolific form with the opening goal of the game - a typically emphatic finish after he was given half a yard of space in the box - and in celebrating paid tribute to his club-mate Christian Eriksen, who took unwell during Denmark's defeat to Finland earlier in the day. With two minutes left, a characteristically good run into the right channel was matched by a sharp near-post finish, giving Belgium the emphatic win they deserved.

PLAYERS STATS

• Both teams
 
• Belgium
 
• Russia

• General
 
• Discipline
 
• Decisive
 
• Goalkeeping

	NAME	TEAM	POS	NAT							RATING
	NAME	TEAM	POS	NAT							RATING
	Meunier		D		Belgium	63	1	1	-	-	8.7
	Lukaku		S		Belgium	90	2	-	-	-	8.5
	Boyata		DC		Belgium	90	-	-	-	-	8.3
	Alderweireld		DR		Belgium	90	-	-	-	-	7.5
	Vertonghen		DL		Belgium	77	-	-	-	-	7.5
	Hazard		ML		Belgium	90	-	-	-	-	7.4
	Dendoncker		MCR		Belgium	90	-	-	-	-	7.2
	Tielemans		MCL		Belgium	90	-	-	-	-	6.9
	Dzhikiya		DCL		Russia	90	-	-	-	-	6.9
	Golovin		AMC		Russia	90	-	-	-	-	6.5
	Courtois		GK		Belgium	90	-	-	-	-	6.4
	Karavaev		D		Russia	47	-	-	-	-	6.4
	Carrasco		AML		Belgium	77	-	-	-	-	6.3
	Fernandes		DR		Russia	90	-	-	-	-	6.3
	Ozdoev		DMCR		Russia	90	-	-	-	-	6.3
	Diveev		D		Russia	45	-	-	-	-	6.2
	Mertens		AMR		Belgium	72	-	1	-	-	5.9
	Mukhin		M		Russia	27	-	-	-	-	5.9
	Hazard		F		Belgium	18	-	-	-	-	5.8
	Barinov		DMCL		Russia	45	-	-	-	-	5.8
	Zhirkov		DL		Russia	43	-	-	-	-	5.7
	Castagne		MR		Belgium	27	-	-	-	-	5.6
	Dzyuba		S		Russia	90	-	-	-	-	5.6
	Miranchuk		M		Russia	27	-	-	-	-	5.6
	Zobnin		AMR		Russia	63	-	-	-	-	5.5
	Kuzyaev		AML		Russia	30	-	-	-	-	5.5
	Cheryshev		F		Russia	33	-	-	-	-	5.5
	Semenov		DCR		Russia	90	-	-	-	-	4.9
	Shunin		GK		Russia	90	-	-	-	-	4.8
	Vermaelen		D		Belgium	13	-	-	-	-
	Praet		M		Belgium	13	-	-	-	-