As Belgium defeated Sweden 3-0 to give Domenico Tedesco victory in his first competitive match as manager, Romelu Lukaku’s hat-trick gave Belgium a strong start in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Romelu Lukaku overcame his lackluster Inter Milan play to put on a remarkable goal-scoring performance, scoring a hat-trick as Belgium defeated Sweden 3-0 in the Euro 2024 qualifying round.
How it happened
Dodi Lukebakio’s shot was deflected narrowly wide of the right post as Belgium took the initiative and created an early chance.
Dejan Kulusevski’s attempt to give Sweden the advantage eluded Thibaut Courtois, but Wout Faes was able to recover in time to stop the ball from going over the goal line.
For Belgium, Lukaku had a big night.
Romelu Lukaku made no mistake in glancing a header home for his 69th international goal, giving Belgium the early advantage. Lukebakio’s precise cross found him.
Following the break, Belgium resumed its offensive efforts and duly scored a second. Before passing the ball to Lukaku, who tapped it in from close range, Lukebakio maneuvered past some Swedish defenders.
With just over 15 minutes remaining, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was introduced from the bench to become the oldest player to feature in European qualifying.
However, his presence was not enough to inspire a comeback as Lukaku completed his hat-trick in the closing stages to seal the win for Belgium.
