Romelu Lukaku marked his 100th cap for Belgium with a goal as Belgium red devils swept aside the Czech Republic 3-0 to move a step closer to an automatic place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Chelsea striker Lukaku and former Blues winger Eden Hazard shined almost at will, with both getting on the scoresheet in a comfortable qualifying win for the Group E leaders in the match played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels Belgium.

Belgium remains top of the FIFA world rankings despite their quarter-final defeat to eventual winners Italy at Euro 2020, and this was a reminder of how they got there.

A two-goal cushion by half-time thanks to goals by Lukaku and Hazard meant they were largely on the comfort side afterwards, with Alexis Saelemaekers grabbing their third goal midway through the second period.

Belgium players celebrating the first goal. | PHOTO: Courtesy |

Adam Hlozek saw an early firecracker of a shot deflect wide for a corner off Jason Denayer before Belgium’s big guns did their damage.

The visitors were caught out by Lukaku in the eighth minute as he ran in behind their defence to meet a precise pass from Hans Vanaken and finish coolly with his favourite left foot into the bottom-right corner.

That was his 67th international goal and it was hardly a secret he would present the biggest threat to the Czech goal. Before half-time, he had headed another chance over, thrashed a powerful shot that Tomas Vaclik parried away well, and scooped an 18-yard strike 10 yards over the crossbar.

Eden Hazard had laid on each of those chances, and in the 41st minute, the Real Madrid forward got the second goal himself, with a pass from Youri Tielemans cleverly helped on with a backheel by Vanaken into Hazard’s path, and he toed the ball low beyond Vaclik.

Eden Hazard in the match. | PHOTO: Courtesy |

A third goal arrived in the 65th minute as substitute Saelemaekers applied the finishing touches after sensational flicks from Hazard and Lukaku freed him to shoot.

That came moments after Hlozek almost cut the deficit with a thumping shot that Thibaut Courtois tipped behind, and the third goal truly killed the contest.

An over-eager Lukaku was booked for hacking down Filip Kasa while chasing giddily after the ball, before he was roared off the pitch 10 minutes from time, replaced by Michy Batshuayi for the closing stages. The booking means Lukaku will miss the next match for Belgium.

Belgium are not home and hosed yet, but a six-point cushion at the top of their group means Qatar 2022 will surely see this team grace its stage. There was no Kevin De Bruyne on the match, who is still absent due to his ankle injury, but he was hardly missed. The Czechs are facing a challenge for second place, notably from Wales, who sit one point behind them with two games in hand. Those two sides meet in October, with Gareth Bale the man the Czechs must watch.

Belgium must travel to Kazan, the temporary home of Belarus, for their next qualifier on Wednesday. The Czechs do not have another qualifier in this international break, and instead, they will play Ukraine in a friendly on Wednesday in Prague.