When you play against an international minnow you should cash in as much as possible.
World Cup qualifiers against lower ranked nations are the perfect chance to boost your numbers.
Usually though, it’s the centre-forwards who bully their way to a cheap hat-trick, not the right-back.
Belgium thrashed Gibraltar 9-0 tonight in Liege to comfortably secure three points in World Cup qualifying Group H.
Romelu Lukaku helped himself to a hat-trick but so did right-back Thomas Meunier.
To be fair, the PSG defender wasn’t required in defence and so he spent most the game playing as an extra winger and displayed impressive finishing to score his second, third and fourth international goals.
Although perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised — Meunier was a forward during his early years before being converted to a right-back while at Club Brugge.
Elsewhere, Dries Mertens and Axel Witsel were on the scoresheet, as was Eden Hazard, whose presence in the starting line-up may have irritated Antonio Conte given the Chelsea No10’s injury troubles currently.
Witsel was sent off in the 40th minute for a nasty follow-through but by then Belgium were already 5-0 up.
The visitors also had a man dismissed when Erin Barnett was sent for an early bath for his foul that gave away the penalty that completed Lukaku’s hat-trick.
Meunier was the star of the show though as the 25-year-old full-back also provided FOUR assists on the night.
Three goals and four assists in one game is one hell of an achievement, regardless of opponent.
Fair play, Thomas, that’s a decent night’s work.
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