Sweden-Belgium 0-3: Lukaku hat-trick at Ibrahimovic’s home

More than a duel, a monologue. The new round of the eternal challenge between Ibra and Lukaku ends clearly in favor of the second. Zero to three, but for Ibra there are only remnants of the game, with the match now addressed. Romelu, on the other hand, huffs and shouts for ninety minutes, takes a good half hour to find oxygen in the area, but scores three times on the three occasions that happen to him. And the challenge of the Friends Arena in Solna decides: Belgium collects the first three points of its race for the European Championship, perhaps the last major appointment for several of its étoile dancers. Sweden, disappointed by the lack of participation in the World Cup and the relegation to League C of the Nations League, started very badly: coach Andersson called Zlatan again after a year, but initially left him on the bench, preferring the dynamism of Isak and Kulusevski. On the other hand Big Rom is the standard-bearer of the new cycle of mister Domenico Tedesco and leads the Belgian custom-built with the support of Lukebakio, De Bruyne and Trossard.

danger number 1

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Ready-go and the Belgian artist from City opens the palette: lunge on the right, first fruits in the area for Carrasco who tames with his chest and tries the lash, a detour saves Olsen. The Red Devils do not mind: Lukebakio on the right fires which is a pleasure, Lukaku however fiddles twice inside the area and does not pass the guard of Ekdal and Lindelof. The Swedes responded after fifteen minutes: a splendid swerve by Kulusevski on the right, then the former Juve returned to the left-handed and made it pass under Courtois’ legs. The ball would end up inside, were it not for Faes’ long save: this time the Leicester defender doesn’t get caught up in the own goal habit (against Liverpool he put in two) and gets it dirty just enough to avoid the lead internal. Pleasant pace, you can sense the desire of both to make a good impression: the Belgians buy up corners and in the 26th minute on Lukebakio’s brushstroke the former Bologna Theate breaks away, but Olsen is there. After five badly touched balls, Big Rom wakes up in the 35th minute: the usual Lukebakio raises his head and crosses to come back from the right, the Nerazzurri gets rid of Ekdal and goes in for the long post. Lukaku removes a pebble from his shoe as he rejoices: finger over his mouth to invite silence and a gesture to indicate the number ten shirt. At the end of the first half, the “enemy” Ibra starts warming up on the sideline.

Far away relative

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It will be too early to judge Tedesco’s creature, but Belgium is a very distant relative, for now, of the wasteful cicada seen in past years. On the contrary: he is a worker in the middle (Onana removes all oxygen masks from the opposite ones) and awake forward, with Lukaku accelerating and earning yet another corner at the opening of the fraction. From the usual flag: De Bruyne short for Lukebakio, progression and low cross for Big Rom who touches it and slips in with the last deflection by Ekdal. Nerazzurri brace: Inzaghi can gloat. Sweden accuses the blow, the rhythms slow down. Tedesco removes Lukebakio (man of the match by gap) and Trossard to give space to 2003 Bakayoko and Mangala. Ibra continues to observe at the edge of the lateral line. Sweden’s first chance in the second half came in the 68th minute, with Forsberg who could shoot from an enviable position, but slipped when shooting and Courtois thanked him. On the other hand Carrasco earns the 7 in his report card with yet another progression concluded with a sharp right, ball out of a nail. The only way to revive the dejected audience of the Friends Arena is the entrance of Zlatan: here he is in the 73rd minute taking the place of Isak and becoming the oldest to set foot on the field in a qualifying match for the European Championships. The hosts try to catch their breath: Kulusevski (the only one above six in the report card among him) swerves again and supports in the center of the area for Svanberg, but he too slips and sends skyrocketing. Instead, Lukaku’s show continues. In the 83rd minute it’s 0-3: the starlet Bakayoko sows panic on the right, breaks through and puts in the middle for Big Rom who deposits the easiest of tap-ins on the net. And then he leaves the field, replaced by Bornauw. There are also three minutes for Saelemaekers. It’s late at night for Ibra, Big Rom shows off a smile as big as a penalty area. It is the emblem of Belgium-ant: the road seems good.