SOCHI: Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Belgium beat fellow World Cup qualifiers Costa Rica 4-1 at home in a friendly in Sochi but had a late fright over injury to key forward Eden Hazard.

The Chelsea forward hobbled off for treatment 20 minutes from the end but team officials said later that the problem was merely “a dead leg” and did not threaten his World Cup prospects.

Dries Mertens and Michy Batshuayi were also on target for Belgium who open their World Cup campaign on Monday against Panama in Sochi.

Costa Rica, who were quarter-finalists four years ago and will play Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland in Group E, went ahead against the run of play with a goal by captain Bryan Ruiz in the 24th minute.

Mertens equalised before Lukaku scored either side of halftime and Batshuayi completed an impressive win for Belgium, whose team are hoping they can finally do justice to their golden generation tag in Russia under coach Roberto Martinez.

They disappointed in previous outings at major tournaments, losing in the quarter-finals to Argentina at the last World Cup in Brazil and then at the same stage to Wales at Euro 2016, both under Marc Wilmots.

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