Rangers star marks cameo with goal and gets one over on Celtic foe
Midfielder prepares for World Cup with sub appearance and strike
Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin got on the scoresheet for Belgium as they geared up for the World Cup with a thumping win over Tunisia.
Raskin came on as a late substitute for Belgium and netted the fifth goal for the home side as they ran riot against ten-man Tunisia at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
This was Belgium’s final warm-up match before their World Cup campaign begins on June 15 against Egypt. They are in Group G alongside the Egyptians, Iran and New Zealand.
Raskin appeared with ten minutes to go and was earning his 13th cap. He was on hand to pounce on a loose ball just outside the penalty box and guide the ball home on 87 minutes to put the cherry on top of a satisfying win for Rudi Garcia’s men.
It was the second time Raskin has scored for his country as he tries to stake a claim for a starting spot at the World Cup.
Belgium took the lead midway through the first half through Leandro Trossard. Charles de Ketelaere added a second on 53 minutes before Tunisia had midfielder Ismael Gharbi sent off just after the hour mark for second booking.
With a numerical advantage, Belgium turned the screw. Kevin de Bruyne and Dodi Lukebakio added further strikes before Raskin completed the scoring.
It was a bruising encounter for Tunisia. Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti came on at half time, but found attacking opportunities limited after Gharbi’s dismissal.
Tunisia are also at the World Cup and are in Group F alongside Japan, Sweden and Netherlands. Tounekti could come up against two of his Celtic teammates, as Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren are in the Japanese and Swedish set-ups respectively.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.