European Championship qualification
Belgium group winners thanks to four goals from Lukaku
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (l) scores his fourth goal to make it 4-0. photo
© Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
Romelu Lukaku increased his remarkable goal tally for the Belgian national team to over 80 goals in the 5-0 win against Azerbaijan.
The 30-year-old attacker scored four times in the first half of the 5-0 (4-0) win in Brussels, increasing his goal tally in the national jersey to 83 goals. Only six players have officially scored more international goals.
For Lukaku, it was the first time that he scored four goals in an international match. With 14 goals in eight games, Lukaku also leads the top scorer list in the European Championship qualification.
After winning the draw for next year’s finals, Belgium will definitely be in Pot 1 and will therefore not face Germany. Coach Domenico Tedesco’s much-rejuvenated team finished qualifying Group F undefeated with six wins and two draws ahead of Austria.
The two Wolfsburg players Koen Casteels and Aster Vranckx started against Azerbaijan, and Lois Openda from RB Leipzig came on for Lukaku in the second half.
In the second game of Group F, Sweden, which can no longer qualify for the European Championship, won 2-0 (1-0) against Estonia. The goals were scored by Viktor Claesson (22nd) and Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg (55th). Estonia will take part in the playoffs as winners of Nations League Group D.