Lukaku, the enduring powerhouse who mocked Trump, threatens Spain’s unbeaten run | OneFootball

Romelu Lukaku heads into Friday’s 21.00 meeting with Spain as Belgium’s game-changing weapon, a record scorer now excelling as an impact substitute against a side yet to concede at this World Cup.

El Periódico Mediterráneo notes that Lukaku, who debuted in 2010, has 93 international goals, far clear of Kevin De Bruyne’s 38.

He has scored in each of Belgium’s last three matches, all from the bench, against New Zealand 1-5 in the group stage, Senegal 2-3 in the round of 32 and the United States 1-4 most recently. In the opener against Egypt, 1-1, he forced an own goal within 14 seconds of coming on.

Against the host nation, he celebrated Belgium’s fourth in stoppage time by mimicking Donald Trump’s trademark dance, after the Belgians arrived angry at FIFA’s unusual amnesty granted to the US president for striker Folarin Balogun.

Curiously, his only start under Rudi García, against Iran, ended 0-0. The coach has preferred Charles De Ketelaere as the No 9, using Lukaku’s 191-centimetre, 90-plus kilo frame as late punch. His club career spans Anderlecht, Chelsea, Everton, Manchester United, Inter, Roma and Napoli.

Spain’s clean sheet streak credits Unai Simón’s record, with Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte central to the back line. Lukaku’s task, again, is to come on and break it.

He has never scored against Spain, having played only 23 minutes in a 0-2 friendly on 1 September 2016, settled by a David Silva double after an earlier postponement amid the Paris terror alert centred on the Bataclan. Belgium are not the force of 2018’s bronze, halted by champions France, yet sit one win from another semi-final, a height also reached in Mexico 1986 after eliminating Spain. Lukaku wants a reprise.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo