Striker Romelu Lukaku scored four goals in the first 20 minutes as sparkling Belgium thrashed 10-a-side Azerbaijan 5-0 in a blustery Euro 2024 Group F qualifier in Brussels on Sunday.
Lukaku produced a superb clinical finish, taking his tally in the pool to 14 points in eight games and taking the European Championship, which was previously jointly held by Northern Ireland’s David Healy and Poland’s Robert Lewandowski with 13 points. He broke the record for single points in qualifying.
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With this victory, Belgium, who had already qualified, took the top spot in the group. Azerbaijan finished in 4th place with 7 points from 8 games.
The home side benefited from an early red card, with Azerbaijan’s Edi Israfilov receiving a second booking and sent off for a violent lunge on Lukaku, and by the 37th minute they were 4-0 up. he led.
Leandro Trossard scored a late fifth goal, but Belgium’s goal was spearheaded by captain Lukaku, who took his total for international goals to 83 in 113 games by the time he was substituted at half-time.
The victory extended Belgian coach Domenico Tedesco’s unbeaten streak in his first days in charge to 10 games, of which he won eight.
After the disastrous World Cup defeat in Qatar, confidence has returned to the team despite the absence of several regulars, including the injured Kevin De Bruyne.
Azerbaijan could not cope with their passing and movement and the power of Lukaku up front. Lukaku attacked the visitors’ last line and scored four clinical finishes.
The night got off to a strange start, with the Swedish national anthem being played in place of the Azerbaijani national anthem, drawing puzzled glances from visitors and murmurs of bewilderment from domestic officials.
It took until the 17th minute for the Reds to take the lead when Jeremy Doku broke free on the edge of the box and his cross was easily headed in by Lukaku.
Azerbaijan’s night worsened seven minutes later when Israfilov was reduced to 10 men after receiving a second yellow card. Both of his bookings came in his four minutes.
Moments later, Lukaku once again had the ball in the back of the net and neatly converted Timothy Castagne’s header into the bottom corner.
He completed his hat-trick 13 minutes after scoring his first goal by heading in a cross from Wout Faes, and added a fourth after receiving a feed from Orel Mangala in the box, easily beating the keeper. Ta.
Unsurprisingly, this sting disappeared from the game in the second half, but Trossard scored his fifth goal from close range in the second half, capping off a dynamic display from the Arsenal forwards.
Reuters contributed to this report.