Belgium 3-0 Russia LIVE RESULT: Lukaku in emotional Eriksen tribute as he nets double in Red Devils Euro 2020 rout

BELGIUM 1-0 RUSSIA

14. The Russians nearly hit back instantly as Mario Fernandes gets up highest to meet a disputed corner.

The defender's header, however, is straight at Courtois.

BELGIUM 1-0 RUSSIA

10. Romelu Lukaku - who else? - breaks the deadlock within the opening ten minutes.

The Belgium striker swivels to turn in left-footed after a dreadful mistake in the Russian defence, and then runs off to the nearest camera to pay tribute to his Inter Milan teammate, Christian Eriksen.

Lukaku was standing in an offside position when the ball was played forward, but once Andrei Semenov has miskicked his clearance, the Belgian was deemed back onside.

GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!
ROMELU LUKAKU OPENS THE SCORING!!

BELGIUM 0-0 RUSSIA

9. The Russians look content to allow Belgium the ball, and then pounce on the counter attack.

It's an interesting tactic, but they are allowing plenty of room for their opponents to exploit.

BELGIUM 0-0 RUSSIA

7. Dzyuba gets away from Alderweireld, and tries to poke a pass through for Golovin.

Between them, Boyata and Alderweireld managed to divert it behind for the game's first corner.

BELGIUM 0-0 RUSSIA

5. The Belgians settle into the game with Vertonghen and Alderweireld - former teammates of Christian Eriksen at Tottenham, of course - exchanging passes at the back.

BELGIUM 0-0 RUSSIA

3. Boyata tracks Dzyuba down the touchline, and you'd feel for anyone who dared to get in their way. Two heavyweights of the game.

BELGIUM 0-0 RUSSIA

1. The Belgium players and the referee take the knee at the kick-off while the Russian players stand. The supporters in the stand make their view known too with some crude whistling. Who would have guessed?

Belgium then get us going, wearing their predominantly red kit. Russia are in white shirts with blue shorts.

PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
THE ACTION BEGINS!

HERE COME THE TEAMS!

It didn't seem likely a couple of hours ago, but we have a game on - both here in St Petersburg and simultaneously in Copenhagen.

The players make their way out into the arena, and while this is officially listed as a neutral venue, a close to full stadium is very much on the side of the Russians.

ARTEM TO SHINE

Artem Dzyuba is back leading the line for Russia after a short spell out of the international scene for a... ahem... lewd act.

The striker and captain is just two goals shy of becoming his country's record goalscorer, and was imperative in helping Russia reach Euro 2020. Only Harry Kane (17) was directly involved in more goals than Dzyuba (nine goals and five assists) in the qualifying campaign.

KICK-OFF APPROACHING

The players have finished their warm-ups and have headed back to the dressing room for some final instructions.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This is the sixth meeting between Belgium and Russia at a major tournament, but the first at the European Championships.

Russia won the first two encounters at the 1970 and 1982 World Cups, both as the USSR.

Since then, however, it is Belgium that have prevailed. The Red Devils have won all three subsequent tournament matches, most recently at the 2014 World Cup when Divock Origi netted a late winner.

Belgium also beat Russia home and away in qualifying for these Euros, winning 3-1 in Brussels and then 4-1 in St Petersburg.

DENMARK V FINLAND RESTART

Incredibly, it has been announced that not only will tonight's game between Belgium and Russia go ahead, but Denmark against Finland will also restart in 15 minutes time.

As surprising as this news is, it must have been a decision made by the two sets of players and hopefully indicates positive news in terms of Eriksen's health and prognosis.

RUSSIA SUBSTITUTES

12 Dyupin, 16 Safonov, 3 Diveev, 4 Karavaev, 6 Cheryshev, 9 Sobolev, 10 Zabolotny, 15 Aleksei Miranchuk, 19 Zhemaletdinov, 20 Ionov, 24 Evgenyev, 26 Mukhin

RUSSIA XI

1 Shunin; 2 Mario Fernandes, 5 Semenov, 14 Dzhikiya, 18 Zhirkov; 7 Ozdoev, 8 Barinov; 11 Zobnin, 17 Golovin, 23 Kuzyaev; 22 Dzyuba

BELGIUM SUBSTITUTES

12 Mignolet, 13 Sels, 3 Vermaelen, 10 E Hazard, 15 Meunier, 18 Denayer, 20 Benteke, 22 Chadli, 23 Batshuayi, 24 Trossard, 25 Doku, 26 Praet

BELGIUM XI

Kevin De Bruyne’s absence from Belgium’s starting XI for this opening game was expected, but the lack of Eden Hazard is perhaps more of a surprise given Roberto Martinez’s words in the build-up to the tournament. Eden’s brother, Thorgan, is included, and so too is Wolves’ Leander Dendoncker in midfield with Axel Witsel still on the mend. Dedryck Boyatta is favoured in the back three over Jason Denayer, and it’s Timothy Castagne at right wing-back rather than Thomas Meunier. It’s Martinez’s trademark 4-3-3 with Jan Vertonghen captain for his 128th international game, and Romelu Lukaku playing through the middle.

1 Courtois; 2 Alderweireld, 4 Boyata, 5 Vertonghen; 21 Castagne, 19 Dendoncker, 8 Tielemans, 16 T Hazard; 14 Mertens, 9 Lukaku, 11 Carrasco

HERE ARE TONIGHT'S TEAMS

GET WELL CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

Football doesn’t matter right now, and I certainly don’t feel like writing about it.

Instead, the game we love has come together as one this evening to hope and pray that Christian Eriksen is well.

It is now being reported that the Danish captain has been stabilised in hospital after collapsing during his country’s Euro 2020 match with Finland in Copenhagen earlier this evening. The contest was promptly abandoned.

However, the tournament’s governing body UEFA have confirmed that the other match in Group B between Belgium and Russia tonight will go ahead.

Today’s awful incident will surely make for a sombre atmosphere in St Petersburg, very much in contrast with the buoyance of Russia’s World Cup two years ago.

The Russians made it to the quarter-finals on home soil before losing to Croatia on penalties and were applauded the world over for the way they hosted the competition.

That tournament was also a fruitful one for the Belgians, who are looking to go on and win a first international competition this time around.

But at a time like this, that could hardly seem less important when all are thoughts are with Eriksen, and everyone affected by the events of earlier.