Belgium vs. Iran: Why the Kevin De Bruyne-Romelu Lukaku partnership can end Jeremy Doku-reliant Red Devils' first-half crisis

Belgium's opening World Cup fixture against Egypt in Group G did not unfold as expected, with a sluggish display forcing the Red Devils to settle for a 1-1 draw in Seattle on Monday.

Rudi Garcia's side, unbeaten across their previous 13 matches (W9, D4), fell behind after 20 minutes when Emam Ashour unleashed a fierce strike to hand the Pharaohs an early advantage.

Despite dominating possession, Belgium struggled to penetrate a disciplined defensive setup, with the Europeans offering little threat and failing to create a single big chance before the break.

The contest shifted after the restart, though, as the Red Devils fashioned two clear opportunities and levelled in the 66th minute when Romelu Lukaku's presence forced Mohamed Hany into an own goal just 22 seconds after the striker's introduction.

That opening display has inevitably raised a few concerns for Garcia, whose team appeared heavily reliant on Jeremy Doku for inspiration in advanced areas and lacked variety for long periods.

With that in mind, Sports Mole examines how Belgium can ease the burden on the Manchester City winger and potentially unlock the long-standing connection between Kevin De Bruyne and Lukaku from the outset.

How Belgium's over-reliance on Jeremy Doku held them back against Egypt

Ahead of the opener, Doku looked certain to be Belgium's main attacking spark, and few would have questioned his ability to shoulder that responsibility after an outstanding 2025-26 campaign at club level.

Among the most dangerous one-versus-one players in the game, the 24-year-old added greater end product to his repertoire last season and helped drive Manchester City back into a title race that had appeared beyond reach.

Although Arsenal ultimately secured the Premier League crown, Doku's contribution drew widespread praise, while his displays during qualifying further strengthened the case for building attacks around him.

The forward directly contributed to seven goals during that campaign and created 24 chances from open play, more than any other European player in the preliminaries.

Egypt, however, devised an effective plan to blunt his influence, with Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh, Hany and company limiting the space that usually allows Doku to thrive.

The Belgian winger completed only three of his nine attempted dribbles, surrendered possession 20 times and came out on top in just 40% of his ground duels.

Doku also posted an expected-assist figure of 0.09, underlining how effectively his creative output was restricted, while his only effort sailed over the bar shortly before half time.

Those numbers make uncomfortable reading by his standards, especially considering his six touches inside the opposition area were the most recorded by any Belgian player on the night, prompting fresh debate over who can help share the attacking responsibility against Iran.

Why Belgium need to establish a Kevin De Bruyne-Romelu Lukaku partnership against Iran

As two of the few remaining figures from Belgium's golden generation that claimed third place at the 2018 World Cup, the inclusion of De Bruyne and Lukaku in Garcia's plans drew scrutiny from some observers after injury-disrupted domestic campaigns in 2025-26.

De Bruyne's move from Man City to Napoli in the summer of 2025 fuelled hopes of reviving his understanding with Lukaku, yet fitness setbacks limited the pair to just six minutes together for the Italian side.

With both men now available, it would hardly be surprising to see them start together, particularly given they have combined for 18 goals across 82 Belgium appearances, with De Bruyne supplying 13 assists for Lukaku and receiving five in return.

Furthermore, Lukaku has struck five times in 13 matches across four World Cup editions to become his nation's leading scorer in the tournament, while De Bruyne's four assists remain the highest tally by any Belgian player on football's biggest stage.

That said, De Bruyne featured from the first whistle against Egypt and is expected to retain his place, though attention now centres on whether Lukaku has done enough to earn a starting berth after his impactful cameo.

How plausible is Romelu Lukaku's chance of starting against Iran?

Lukaku has appeared from the bench in each of his last three World Cup outings for Belgium, including the final two group matches in Qatar, where the Red Devils endured an early exit.

The 33-year-old’s decisive contribution after coming on against Egypt may well strengthen his case for selection, especially with Charles De Ketelaere carrying a fitness concern after operating as a false nine in the opening fixture.

Although recent reports suggest De Ketelaere has returned to training, Garcia may favour Lukaku's proven pedigree, particularly with the veteran having scored 90 goals in 127 international appearances compared to an alternative who is still working his way back to full sharpness.