Chris Sutton
Ex-Chelsea striker on BBC Radio 5 live

Gen Shoji needs to be careful. Romelu Lukaku is a power house, he is a monster.

Kevin de Bruyne is in his own half more often than the opposition one. Got to be higher up hasn't he?

The Japan v Switzerland final I trailed last night is still on. Another shock? Why not?

Belgium work it well though, Eden Hazard backs the Japan defence into their own area but instead of taking it on on his left foot he wants to bend one with his right, Maya Yoshida reads it and easily blocks it.

Martin Keown
Former England defender in Russia

Japan are showing their teeth and they are pushing Belgium back to a five at times. They are very tidy and confident in possession and Kagawa is always available for the ball.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, BBC Sport

Who's on top? Bossing the game? Having a mare?

Rate the players out 10 here.

That chance has girded Japanese loins. They are having a neat passage of play now, pushing Belgium back into their own half. Eventually they hit a raking long ball over the top and Thibaut Courtois is on his bike to pick it off right on the edge of the area.

Very long arms, the Chelsea number one. Jordan Pickford may not have reached that.

But now Japan do attack! Thomas Meunier gets under a crossfield ball and Shinji Kagawa is in behind. He has no conviction to shoot but finds Yuto Nagatomo on the overlap and his cross is a good one, headed straight at Thibaut Courtois.

Not enough purchase beyond that, but it got the crowd excited...

Japan are on the ropes a touch but they'll be happy with the scoreline at the half-hour mark. It's a long hour ahead though if they are going to just soak up wave upon wave of Belgian pressure.

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Sutton
Ex-Chelsea striker on BBC Radio 5 live

Nine Japanese players defending the width of the 18 yard box, but you feel that it is coming.

Japan have been pushed back now. They have nine defenders in the area as Maya Yoshida slices a clearance a yard wide. From the corner, Vincent Kompany then gets his angles all wrong and puts a shot right across goal when a header would have surely opened the scoring!

Send for a protractor...

Chris Sutton
Ex-Chelsea striker on BBC Radio 5 live

It just would not drop. Maya Yoshida does just enough to scramble the ball clear.

Colin: Is it me or has Lukaku put on a lot of weight recently? He looks even bigger than usual & not in a particularly good way

Phil: Lukaku not intending to cover much ground tonight.. A 10 yard radius at best

Brian: I'd like to see Japan go through, one things for sure, they won't give up whatever happens!

Great chance! Romelu Lukaku wants the ball into him earlier and this time he gets what he wants as Dries Mertens feeds in a cross from the right. It looks like the big number nine will convert from just a few yards out but Maya Yoshida has a shove in the back and just puts the Manchester United man off!

A miskick from four yards out and the danger has gone. Was that a foul?

Moments later Eden Hazard hits a shot which is punched clear. belgium dialling it up a notch...

Martin Keown
Former England defender in Russia

Lukaku is demanding the ball to be played into him on the ground, and in the channel. He's in the mood though and he's much better player when he is angry.

Image source, gett

More like it! The bets move yet as Thomas Meunier joins in the midfield, they move Japan around with some slick play but not for the first time it breaks down once Yannick Carrasco gets on the ball.

He's already lost the ball five times.

Chris Sutton
Ex-Chelsea striker on BBC Radio 5 live

There is space in behind for Belgium, that is the nature of Japan pressing that Belgium back line.

Romelu Lukaku echoes my thoughts, calling for the ball to come forwards quicker. Too slow, too ponderous.

It's very slow from Belgium. Too slow? We're not at Spain levels of build-up but kevin de Bruyne is seeing all of his ball inside his own half. Not going to be too dangerous from there is he?

Mind you they find Romelu Lukaku in the D and his shot baloons over off the thigh of a blue-shirted defender.

Image source, EPA

Romelu Lukaku scored the winner when these sides met in a friendly last winter and you'd be backing him for first goal here wouldn't you?

Image source, Reuters