It’s amazing the difference a couple of yards can make. Given just that amount of space for 45 minutes of this game, Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku appeared to be the kind of centre forward he never really was during his Premier League days.
Lukaku – now of Inter Milan – was a bully with a velvet touch. Everything he did worked. He won and converted a penalty. He set up team-mates with back heels, received the ball with his back to goal and either played colleagues in or turned and set off for goal.
It was an imperious half of football by Lukaku, formerly of Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea.