'I should never have been at the World Cup': Lukaku making most of super-sub role

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukaku-romelu/dCkG0Iw0/"]Lukaku[/a] managed little more than an hour all season for Italian ‌side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/napoli/69Dxbc61/"]Napoli[/a], but has played almost twice as many minutes ‌at the tournament for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a], who topped Group G to set up ‌a Round of 32 clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a] on Wednesday.[/p][p][b]"I'm just happy to ‌be here because, if you look at my season and how it went, normally I should never have been at the World Cup,"[/b] he told reporters ‌on Monday.[/p][p][b]"So for me, being here, playing, helping ⁠my team, making a difference, ‌being decisive in a match - it's great. So yeah, like they say in ​English, 'go with the flow.'"[/b][/p][p]The 33-year-old striker understandably looks short of full fitness, but ​has a goal and an assist in 121 minutes and been especially effective off the bench.[/p][p]In Belgium's first game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a], they were ⁠trailing 1-0 and looked ​bereft of ideas until the introduction of Lukaku forced an equalising own goal around 20 seconds later.[/p][image alt="Lukaku's stats vs New Zealand" id="6c2b2f14-7b41-4e14-aee8-6dbe139ccf59" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="19696bfa-bb15-4169-bf14-f31c640517f3" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]Lukaku started and played over an hour in a 0-0 stalemate with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/xrRx85iA/"]Iran[/a], then had another instant impact against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/rLctHkpU/"]‌New Zealand[/a], scoring a goal shortly after coming on to put Belgium top of the group once more.[/p][p][b]"I have plenty of time to analyse where the spaces are and then I just try to be able to slip in or do a bit more," [/b]he said.[/p][p][b]"I think that when you look at it as a substitute, you really have to pay attention together with the other players sitting with you on the bench."[/b][/p][p]Lukaku is one of the last ‌of Belgium's golden generation - coach Rudi Garcia's "oldies" - still with a chance ​to deliver on their promise, though he called on his ‌teammates to ignore the outside noise and focus on difficult opponents in Senegal.[/p][p][b]"Technically they are very good, tactically they are very strong, physically they can make the difference, so for us it will be a big challenge intensity-wise,"[/b] Lukaku said.[/p][p][b]"I said in ⁠the dressing room it will ⁠be 50-50, so let's see ‌what the game brings."[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/belgium-GbB957na/senegal-hOIsJLJr/?mid=vPsIXWOb"]Follow Flashscore for all the latest ahead of Belgium vs Senegal.[/a][/b][/p]