Belgium began their Euro 2020 campaign with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Russia in Group B. The Red Devils are one of the favourites to lift the championship trophy in July and were the far better side on Saturday night. Two goals from Romelu Lukaku paved the way to all three points as the Inter Milan striker continues to produce goals consistently for both club and country. Here are three key stats from Belgium’s win.
Three Key Stats From Belgium Victory Over Russia
Lukaku Continues to Produce Goals for Belgium
The 2020/21 season was one of Lukaku’s best campaigns to date as he registered 24 goals in 36 appearances for Inter Milan during the Serie A season. His superb goal-scoring form has also been on display on the international level. According to Opta Joe, Lukaku has been directly involved in 26 goals in his last 19 appearances for Belgium.
If Lukaku can continue to produce goals at a high rate then Belgium is certainly capable of winning this competition. He is an integral part of their squad and showed against Russia he doesn’t need many opportunities to make a difference.
Thomas Meunier Making a Difference on the Big Stage for Belgium
Meunier entered in the first half for the injured Timothy Castagne and scored just seven minutes after coming onto the pitch. His goal in the 34th minute was a crucial moment for Belgium as it allowed them to take a 2-0 lead into half-time.
According to Opta Franz, Meunier has now been involved in four goals in his last five major tournament appearances for Belgium. The Borussia Dortmund player has certainly been rising to the occasion on the big stage for his country.
Russia Struggle to Generate Scoring Opportunities
Of Russia’s five total shots, only three were generated from open play. They were not able to match Belgium’s chances as the victors registered nine shots from open play. This was a similar storyline to when the two countries first met during the Euro 2020 qualification in Group I. In their first meeting in March 2019, Russia were held to just four shots, which resulted in a 3-1 win for Belgium. The Russians did fare better when it came to generating shots when they met a second time in November 2019. Russia actually out-shot Belgium 12 to 11 in that match but it still wasn’t enough as Belgium won 4-1.
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