Maxim De Cuyper Jokes He Won't Catch Romelu Lukaku's Goalscoring Record Despite Strong Performance

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Maxim De Cuyper humorously remarked that he doesn't expect to surpass Romelu Lukaku as Belgium's top scorer, even after adding another goal to his tally. Belgium's World Cup qualifying campaign remains strong with a commanding 6-0 win over Liechtenstein in Group J. This victory places them third, three points behind Wales, but with two games in hand.

De Cuyper stood out by taking the most shots and completing the second-most dribbles and chances. He also had the second-most touches, contributing a goal and an assist. With four goals and two assists in 11 matches for Belgium, he averages nearly a goal every three games. In contrast, Lukaku had only two goals at this stage of his career.

Youri Tielemans, Arthur Theate, Kevin De Bruyne, and Malick Fofana also scored in the match. De Cuyper expressed his enjoyment of scoring goals and assisting teammates, acknowledging that heading isn't his strength. "Ever catch up with Lukaku?" he laughed. "That's not going to happen." He noted that it might have been his first header goal and considered it one of his better ones.

In the first half against Liechtenstein, Belgium managed only two shots on target, with De Cuyper converting one. However, their performance improved significantly after halftime. They scored five times from seven shots on target in the second half and generated 2.2 expected goals (xG).

Kevin De Bruyne was pleased with their patience paying off despite a slow start. "We created enough opportunities in the first half," he said. "They may not have been the biggest, but still." He noted that they often reached the back line but struggled with final passes.

De Bruyne observed that Liechtenstein tired after 30 to 35 minutes, making it easier for Belgium in the second half. He acknowledged that such matches are challenging despite facing weaker opponents like Liechtenstein.

The coach didn't need to say much during halftime as players knew they could improve their finishing against Liechtenstein's defence. The team aimed to score quickly while maintaining patience throughout the match.