Anyway, that’s your lot here. Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the rest of the day’s football ... which continues with South Korea’s game against Mexico over here with Mr Baz. Bye!
Romelu Lukaku now tops the Golden Boot standings. He joins Cristiano Ronaldo at the head of the race with four, though he’s got a far better shots-to-goal ratio, plus he’s not been on the pitch so long. Some big names already in the running for the prize first awarded to the legendary Italian striker Paolo Rossi in 1982.
Here’s the match report ... with Stuart James’s match report from the Spartak Stadium in Moscow to follow.
That was a fine performance by Belgium. A few question marks at the back, perhaps, but then who defends well these days? Going forward they look very formidable, and will pose England quite a few questions on Thursday night. Their status as one of the favourites for this World Cup has been revived after a slightly stodgy display against Panama. Over to England, then. But whatever happens tomorrow, Thursday’s showdown at the Kaliningrad Stadium promises to be a cracker.
Roberto’s rated his players. Now it’s your turn. Get clicking!
Roberto Martinez speaks! “It is not easy to score the amount of goals we have scored in the first two games. It is really good to see a team coming together, to fight so much for each other. And on top of it we have the talent and the quality. Tunisia made it an open game, and it made a game that had a lot of action in both boxes. We had to suffer in spells, but when we were in full flow we were sharp. Qualification in two games: you cannot ask for more from these players.”
FULL TIME: Belgium 5-2 Tunisia
Well, that was fun. Belgium are as good as in the last 16 and Tunisia are out ... unless Panama record a result for the ages tomorrow lunchtime.
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GOAL! Belgium 5-2 Tunisia (Khazri 90+3)
Naguez dribbles towards the byline on the right. He pulls back for Khazri, who spins and squirts a consolation into the bottom left!
90 min +2: It’s the second of three added minutes. Batshuayi romps towards the Tunisian box. He’s got Tielemans to his right, but doesn’t return the favour, opting to loft a chip over Ben Mustapha instead. It’s not a good connection, and floats wide right.
GOAL! Belgium 5-1 Tunisia (Batshuayi 90)
Hats off to Batshuayi, who has missed some sitters. But he’s kept on coming, and he’s got his reward here. Tielemans curls one in from the right. Batshuayi slides in, and guides it back across Ben Mustapha and into the bottom right! A reward for persistence ... and a very tidy finish.
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89 min: The corner is a non-event. As I say, a sense that everyone just wants back to the hotel.
88 min: Meunier races down the right and wins a corner off Benalouane.
86 min: Mertens is replaced by Tielemans.
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84 min: Belgium knock it about again, just because this is where we are now. “Vertonghen did, indeed, look groggy,” begins Mac Millings. “Is there a proper concussion protocol in place at this tournament? There have been a few nasty clashes of heads, and Fifa really needs to take concussion as seriously as US sports are (finally) doing. If they do, I think you might see a significant increase in concussion-based substitutions, and they might have to look at changing the sub rules - maybe four total, with a maximum of two being for tactical purposes.” A serious email from Millings?! Regular MBM readers will hope he hasn’t taken a knock to the head.
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82 min: Batshuayi could easily have had a six-minute hat-trick. He’s got nowt.
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81 min: What does Batshuayi have to do to score?! De Bruyne dribbles to the byline on the left, then pulls back. Batshuayi is six yards out - and pelts the ball straight at the keeper, who parries! Batshuayi gets to the rebound first, but his shot from a tight angle on the right balloons over via a deflection. The corner leads to naught.
79 min: An outrageous miss by Batshuayi! Carrasco cuts in from the left. His low shot is spilled by Ben Mustapha, and falls at the feet of Batshuayi ... who blasts a shot off the underside of the bar, down, out and away! That was a physics-defying nonsense! But also a preposterous miss.
78 min: And now a lull, with a slight sense that both teams would pick up the ball now and call it a day, if they could.
76 min: Another chance for Batshuayi. He’s released by Carrasco and rounds Ben Mustapha on the left. He scoops a shot towards the empty net, but there’s no oomph to the effort, allowing Meriah to hoick off the line.
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75 min: De Bruyne slips a pass down the inside-left channel to release Batshuayi. Ben Mustapha comes racing out of his area and intercepts the ball with his chest. On the touchline, Roberto Martinez is claiming a hand ball, but the VAR folks aren’t seeing it.
73 min: Vertonghen’s back on, OK to continue.
72 min: Vertonghen and Sliti clash heads. Vertonghen looks a bit groggy. Play’s stopped as a result.
70 min: Boyata bowls over the up-for-it Sliti, just to the left of the Belgium box. The free kick eventually drops to the feet of Khaoui, 25 yards out: he balloons the ball miles over the bar.
68 min: No hat-trick for Hazard either: he’s replaced by Batshuayi.
67 min: The rain’s started again. It’s very pretty. Badri turns on a sixpence and sends a bobbler towards Courtois, who claims.
66 min: Sliti curls one into the Belgium box from the left. Boyata is forced to head behind for a corner. From the set piece, Sliti has a whack from the edge of the box. He doesn’t connect properly. The ball clanks off Alderweireld. Tunisia make a half-hearted shout for penalty but they don’t really believe in it.
64 min: It’s still a beautiful sunny day in Moscow ... but there’s a sudden shower of summer rain. Hazard glides in from the left and looks for the top right. Nope. And then the rain stops.
62 min: Carrasco, to the left of the D, tries a vicious curler into the top right. It’s not far away from taking the paint off the goalframe, but over and wide nonetheless.
61 min: Ben Youssef races down the right and hooks a low ball into the Belgium box. Badri and Khazri leave it for each other, and the chance to seriously trouble Courtois is gone. The scoring, you sense, hasn’t finished.
59 min: No hat-trick for Lukaku today. Two goals will have to do. Belgium’s main striker will get a rest ahead of the England game, not least because he’s got a sore foot. Mertens will move into his line-leading position; Fellaini is the man coming on. Tunisia meanwhile make their final change: Sassi is replaced by Sliti.
57 min: Carrasco is sent scampering into space down the left, courtesy of a Hazard dummy. Entering the area, he should shoot, but opts to cross instead. A waste. But it’s a corner! Which is also a waste. But Belgium can afford a minor mistake or two.
56 min: Sassi, 30 yards out down the inside-right channel, spots Courtois on walkabout, and sends a looping shot over the keeper and towards the top left. It’s not too far away. Had it been on target, Courtois was toast.
54 min: Maaloul crosses into the Belgian area for the remaining Ben Youssef, Fakhreddine, who heads harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
53 min: Belgium stroke it around the back awhile, just because they can. Two of their players are on hat-tricks now.
GOAL! Belgium 4-1 Tunisia (Hazard 51)
But this is surely it now. De Bruyne, from deep inside his own half, rakes down the middle and releases Hazard, who outstrips Benalouane. He takes a touch round Ben Mustapha and slots into the empty net. Another simple goal, but so crisply taken.
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50 min: Tunisia are going for it all right. Badri has a whack from the left of the D and warms Courtois’ hands.
49 min: Khazri gently whips a pass down the left and nearly releases Badri. Not quite. Then Tunisia come again, Badri threading a pass through the middle for Khaoui. But Boyata hooks away just as the Tunisian midfielder prepares to pull the trigger.
47 min: But then Lukaku wins a corner down the right, chasing after a long pass, and Belgium take it short. De Bruyne fires low towards the near post, and Alderweireld nearly Total Footballs a flick into the net from close range. Just wide. No sense whatsoever that this match is going to end 3-1.
The teams are back ... and we’re off again! Tunisia - who were kept waiting by Belgium - get the ball rolling once more. The half-time interval was 18 minutes long! Ah, they’ve all deserved the rest. Maaloul and Ben Youssef combine well down the right, but can’t quite open Belgium up. The Tunisians need two goals at least if they’re to have any chance of survival. They’ve restarted on the front foot.
Half-time snack bar:
HALF TIME: Belgium 3-1 Tunisia
That was a lot of fun. After a slow start to their World Cup, the Belgian golden generation look a serious proposition again.
GOAL! Belgium 3-1 Tunisia (Lukaku 45+3)
The free-scoring Lukaku gets another! The excellent Meunier glides in from the right, draws a couple of defenders, then dinks a pass through for Lukaku, down the inside-right. Lukaku draws Ben Mustapha and clips the ball over the keeper. Simple but beautiful.
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45 min +3: Suddenly Belgium counter! Meunier skitters across the face of his own area, before dinking the ball away from trouble and to Hazard, in acres of space in the midfield. He races upfield, then slips wide to De Bruyne, who is clear down the inside right! Unselfishly, he crosses low for Lukaku, but the pass is an inch too far forward for his toe. No matter, though, because ...
45 min +2: It’s four minutes of added time in this stoppage-strewn firsts half. Tunisia push Belgium back, but not too far, and they’re not really threatening to penetrate.
45 min: Mertens lifts a pass down the left in the hope of releasing Hazard. But Naguez ushers the ball out of play for a goal kick. Hazard looks slightly frustrated, the result of Belgium’s fast start being checked, no doubt.
43 min: Maaloul dinks one in from the left. Khaoui takes it down and spins gracefully, before winning a corner off Boyata. The set piece goes straight down the throat of Courtois. But Tunisia have done extremely well to come back into this game. They’re asking Belgium plenty of questions.
41 min: Tunisia are forced into another substitution. Syam Ben Youssef has picked up a knock, and he’s carted off on the stretcher too. Benalouane replaces him. That’s half of Tunisia’s back line carried off, and we haven’t even reached the break.
39 min: De Bruyne has been relatively quiet. He tries to spring Lukaku free down the inside-left channel, but his pass forward is always going through to Ben Mustapha. Up the other end, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef chests down and attempts to Le Tissier a volley into the top right. It’s an admirable effort, but always going high and wide.
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37 min: The first lull of the afternoon as players stop for a glug of water. These showmen deserve it.
35 min: Lukaku was down getting a bit of treatment back there. A bit of spray on the foot, and a slight worry for Belgium.
33 min: Meunier crosses low from the right. Ben Mustapha should claim easily, but nearly spills it at the feet of Mertens. This game of football is absurdly open, and what could possibly be wrong with that? I’m beginning to have a rough idea what the 1954 World Cup felt like.
32 min: Khazri steps in from the left and sends a powerful looper towards the top right. For a second, it looks like it might be foxing Courtois and heading into the corner, but the keeper does very well to gather.
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31 min: Now Sassi drags a shot wide left from 20 yards. This is really fine entertainment! Here’s Hubert O’Hearn: “I guess Roberto Martinez heard that this is the lowest scoring World Cup since 2002 and said, hold Belgium’s greatest export. 9-8 anyone?”
30 min: Khazri tries for goal while wide on the right. It’s that sort of game.
29 min: Belgium look dangerous pretty much every time they go forward. Hazard slips a ball into the area from the left. Lukaku backheels it to Witsel, who can’t get a shot on target from just outside the area.
27 min: De Bruyne sends Lukaku free down the inside right. The striker should enter the box and get a shot away, but he takes a heavy touch. Instead he’s put off by the advancing Ben Mustapha, who ushers him wide right and out of play for a goal kick. Lukaku goes over after a slight brush from the keeper, but he’s barely fallen to the turf before he sportingly sticks a palm up to signal he’s not claiming for a penalty. That’s lovely to see.
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25 min: Khazri bombs down the left and from the byline dinks a high-velocity rabona over the sliding Alderweireld. Courtois does very well to catch it without fuss or drama.
24 min: Bronn is replaced by Naguez. Here’s Colin Livingstone: “Good going forward, no idea how to defend. You can spot a Bobby Martinez team a mile off.”
23 min: This has been gloriously entertaining so far. But the momentum comes crashing to a sickening halt as the Tunisian goalscorer Bronn turns his knee in the turf. He’s in severe pain, and is carted off on a stretcher, minutes after the joy of scoring a goal in the World Cup finals. Sport can be so cruel.
21 min: Alderweireld races forward in the Total Football style, making ground down the inside-right channel. He’s given all the time he wants to size up a shot, and looks to thread one into the bottom left. He drags it wide of the left-hand post.
19 min: It’s so nearly 3-1. The ball comes into the Tunisian box from the Belgian right. Meunier’s deep cross is met by Carrasco, coming in from the other flank. He pearls a half-volley towards the right. Ben Mustapha parries. Mertens can’t convert the rebound. And breathe! Is there time to breathe?
GOAL! Belgium 2-1 Tunisia (Bronn 18)
Tunisia hit back immediately! A free kick for Tunisia on the left. Khazri curls in. Bronn rises highest and glances one into the bottom right! That was pretty simple too. What a start to this game!
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GOAL! Belgium 2-0 Tunisia (Lukaku 16)
The in-form Lukaku makes it two! He’s sent racing down the inside-left channel by Mertens. He takes a touch to his left, then slams a low shot into the bottom right through the legs of Syam Ben Youssef. Easy, easy.
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14 min: Khazri and Vertonghen battle for a ball down the Tunisian right. Khazri wants a free kick, or maybe even a penalty, for a light brush on the face. He’s not getting it. Then Sassi puts in a late tackle in the midfield. He’d have gotten away with it, but, frustrated about the earlier non-decision, engages in trenchant debate with the ref, and is booked.
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12 min: Hazard does extremely well to keep the ball in play, tight on the byline on the left. He pulls back for Witsel, who can’t quite get a shot away. Then another phase, and Lukaku is blazing down the right. He centres low for Hazard, who flicks tamely towards goal: he probably should have scored.
10 min: Skhiri, quarterbacking from deep, floats a pass down the inside-left channel in the hope of releasing Badri. It’s not a bad idea, and Badri’s not a million miles away from meeting the ball, but Courtois is out quickly to claim, no sweat. Tunisia have come back at Belgium, though.
8 min: That will settle Belgium, who were very nervous and sluggish in the first half against Panama earlier in the week. Khazri tries to get something going for Tunisia by way of response, but his pass down the right isn’t anticipated by Fakhreddine Ben Youssef.
GOAL! Belgium 1-0 Tunisia (Hazard 6 pen)
The VAR has a quick look at the penalty - the challenge was right on the line - but the decision stands. Hazard strokes the spot kick into the bottom left corner. Ben Mustapha didn’t even move. Easy.
Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
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Penalty for Belgium!
5 min: Belgium triangulate in the pretty style. Suddenly Hazard bursts towards the Tunisian box down the inside-right channel. Syam Ben Youssef comes across, sticks a leg out, and upends his man. The ref points at the spot.
3 min: Meunier cuts in from the right and looks to thread a low shot into the bottom right. Ben Mustapha smothers well. It’s fair to say this has been an open start.
2 min: Badri goes on a very determined run down the left. He cuts inside and nearly makes space for a shot. It’s an excellent dribble, but he’s stopped by Vertonghen. Belgium punt it long, and Lukaku is first to a long ball down the inside-right channel. He tries to lift it over Ben Mustapha, but the keeper gets the better of him.
And we’re off! Belgium get the ball rolling. A huge roar meets the kick-off. And Belgium are on the front foot quickly. Vertonghen tears down the right, flips the ball inside, and Hazard is fouled, 40 yards from goal. A chance for Belgium to line up on the edge of the box, and for De Bruyne to curl one onto someone’s noggin. But he gets the free kick hideously, uncharacteristically wrong, and punts the ball straight to Ben Mustapha, who gathers calmly.
The teams are out! It’s a beautiful sunny day in Moscow. And there’s a Seven Nation Army fuelled atmosphere at the Otkritie Arena. Here, Belgium’s yellow kit is very natty. Though it’s not quite up there with their 1982 shirt ... but then what is? Anyway, we’ll be off in a minute.
The national anthems: La Brabançonne exudes a gentle pageantry, and would sound good pouring quietly from a tinny speaker outside a cafe, as one perched on vintage cast-iron furniture sipping artisan wheat beer while drawing hard on a cigarette with no filter. ♭♮♯ Noble Belgium, O mother dear / To you we stretch our hearts and arms / With blood to spill for you, O fatherland! / We swear with one cry – You shall live! ♭♮♯
The Tunisian number, Ḥumāt al-Ḥimá, is equally easy on the ear. The lyrics are a bit more strident than the music, which is a bouncy, fun sound. ♭♮♯ O defenders of the homeland / Rally around to the glory of our time! /The blood surges in our veins / We die for the sake of our land! ♭♮♯
A sneak peek in the dressing rooms. This is the pennant Belgium will present to Tunisia before the game. Some nice wood panelling there, too, and sturdy lockers, the sort you’d find in a high-end spa and health club. I’ll be straight with you, I’m killing time. Here, if you squint hard enough, you’ll spot Belgium are playing in their second-choice yellow kit today.
Meanwhile Tunisia will be playing in their second-choice red strip.
Pre-match reading: If you haven’t read this magnificent piece by Simon Burnton yet, what are you waiting for? Be about your business! It’s a nostalgic breeze through England’s preparations at World Cups past, including the following wonderful snippet from 1958:
The Tottenham manager, Bill Nicholson, had scouted England’s next opponents, Brazil, and under his instruction the second string imitated the Brazilians in a practice match, with Peter Broadbent taking his impersonation of Didi so far he spoke in broken English and cried “caramba!” in particularly heated moments.
Belgium have named an unchanged, and Premier League heavy, side. Thibaut Courtois, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard will all be in action from the get-go, as they were against Panama.
Tunisia make two changes to the team named against England. Ben Mustapha replaces the injured Mouez Hassen in goal, while striker Naim Sliti of Lille makes way for midfielder Saif-Eddine Kahoui.
The teams
Belgium: Courtois, Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen, Meunier, De Bruyne, Witsel, Carrasco, Mertens, Lukaku, Eden Hazard.
Subs: Mignolet, Vermaelen, Kompany, Fellaini, Thorgan Hazard, Tielemans, Januzaj, Dembele, Batshuayi, Chadli, Dendoncker, Casteels.
Tunisia: Ben Mustapha, Bronn, Syam Ben Youssef, Meriah, Maaloul, Khaoui, Skhiri, Sassi, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, Khazri, Badri.
Subs: Mathlouthi, Benalouane, Haddadi, Bedoui, Ben Amor, Khalil, Srarfi, Khalifa, Chaalali, Nagguez, Sliti.
Referee: Jair Marrufo (USA).
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Preamble
Welcome to our coverage of the Other Game in Group G. England take on Panama tomorrow, but first much-fancied Belgium face Tunisia in Moscow this afternoon. Belgium were disappointing in their opening match against Los Canaleros, a testament to how highly they’re regarded seeing they won 3-0 and scored one of the goals of the tournament so far.
Having started that one in a rather sluggish manner, they’ll hope to be a little sharper today as they face a Tunisian team that gave England a proper game earlier in the week. Belgium will make it through to the last 16 if they win this one; Tunisia will be going home if they lose and Panama fail to pull of the mother of shocks tomorrow by beating England. Both teams need this; it promises to be a cracker. It’s on!
Kick off: 1pm BST, 3pm at the Otkritie Arena in Moscow.
