21 min Again, Belgium have Iran boxed, and they’re trying to pop the ball about quickly, combination play one of the main ways low blocks are deconstructed. The power on the passes has been a little too much so far, but that’s the side on which to err – when played well, the pace allows the recipient to use it to shift and shoot.

19 min "“Starting with Lukaku is a bad idea, reckons Krisnamoorthy V. “He is likely to now earn a 2nd yellow card and leave Belgium to play with 10 men. Lukaku is a super sub and that’s what his role should be. If he makes it to half-time without another yellow , the wisest thing would be to bring him off.”

I’m not sure about that – he’s not someone i associate with ill discipline. Ill finishing, for sure – I can’t think of anyone as prolific whose goalscoring I believe in less – but I don’t expect him to let his team down by getting himself dismissed.

17 min Tielemans tries a pass through the middle, seeking to meet Lukaku’s run, but puts just too much on it.

15 min Rezaeian’s corner is a goodun too, picking out Ezatolahi at the back post … but he can only head wide of it.

14 min But here come Iran, Lukaku heading clear Taremi’s cross, but Iran sustain the attack, sending the ball back into the box, and after a bobble or two, it drops for Kanani, up with the attack for reasons known best to himself, and on the half-turn he shoots. It looks like Courtois has gone too late but, perhaps minding the unusual flight of the ball they’re using, almost waits for it to bounce before plunging to his right and tipping behind. Excellent save.

14 min I can’t think of a game for which Doku’s illness could be less convenient. His explosive ability to change directions and slow up defenders before blazing by, conjuring space in the process, is the perfect antidote to a massed defence.

12 min I really like the intensity with which Belgium have started. There’s a tempo and conviction to their passing, Meunier having a cross blocked; Iran try to counter, but quickly lose the ball. They win it back, though, and try taking some heat out of proceedings, knocking it about their defence.

11 min Now it’s Lukaku having a shot blocked, Kanani doing a really good job to extend his leg, but this is maturing into an onslaught.

9 min Trossard wriggles down the left and cuts back, De Bruyne opening his body to glance a shot goalwards; Beiranvand saves, then De Cuyper’s follow-up effort is blocked.

8 min “In the dead of winter 1974,” writes Gary Stover, “my wife and I spent six weeks travelling from village to village in Iran, on public buses, buying antique carpets to ship back to London to sell. We had not one word of Farsi. The Iranian people welcomed us, helped us in every way. I think these guys are playing for them, Daniel, the Iranian people.”

That’s a lovely anecdote, but my (limited) understanding of the situation us that the status of the team is a little more complex and contested than that.

Back with the game, De Bruyne belts a shot over the top, but his team have started commandingly.

7 min We’re back under way, Belgium again on the attack.

5 min I wonder how fit Lukaku is – before he came on in the first game, he’d not played in months, but Belgium need him firing, badly. His performance against Brazil in 2018 is one of my favourites in recent World Cups but, I’m afraid, was something a big-game outlier for him and followed by a collective no-show in the semi against France.

3 min De Cuyper swings in and Taremi heads clear then, when the ball comes out, De Bruyne curls an absolute brute into the corridor, Beiranvand diving and Lukaku sliding in, introducing studs to sternum. It’s a right sair yin, with a knee to chin behind it, but the yellow card feels harsh to me – the ball was there to win, he had every right to go for it, and it’s a contact sport. But the keeper is down, taking treatment; I think he’ll be OK.

2 min A Belgium attack breaks down and immediately, the ball is humped long for Taremi, Mechele getting to it first, and within seconds Saelemaekers wins a corner.

1 min Belgium set us away in an absolute behemoth of a ground stadium.

Anthem time!

Our teams are tunnelled … and here they come!

So where is the game? I don’t love the Belgium defence, and I’d expect Taremi to attack the space in behind the centre-backs. Mechele lacks a bit of pace, while Ngoy doesn’t have much experience at this level, so a wily so-an-so of his ilk will fancy the task. I’d also expect the full-backs to support the wide midfielders when they can, looking to put crosses into the box.

Belgium, meanwhile, need to find a way around or through a massed defence. I’m sure they’ll want De Bruyne to arc balls in for Lukaku, with him and Tielemans also a shooting threat from the edge. I also expect Trossard to be buzzing about, looking to passes in behind, shots into the far corner, and rebounds from any blocks of keeper spillages.

Also going on:

I’d not be unkeen to hear Keane’s take on England cricket’s latest fiasco…

In fairness, Keane does apply this standard to himself. Musing on his performance in the second leg of the 1999 Champions League semi, Alex Ferguson wrote:

Running every blade of grass, competing as if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose. He inspired all around him. I felt it was an honour to be associated with this player.”

And Keane’s response?

Stuff like that kind of almost insults me. What am I supposed to do? Give up? Not cover every blade of the grass? Not do my best for my teammates? Not too much to ask from a club. To be honest, I actually get offended when people throw quotes like that at me, as if I’m supposed to be honoured by it. It’s like praising the postman for delivering your letters he’s supposed to, isn’t he? That’s his job. My job was to win football matches for Man United.”

Ahahaha, as if on cue, just after we see an interview in which Declan Rice extols Thomas Tuchel’s preparation and communication, there’s Roy to remind us that it’s what he’s paid to do. Or, in other words, it’s impossible for anyone to excel, ever.

A question: what is the ideal time for World Cup matches? This is a tricky one wherever in the world we are because it exists over multiple zones and I can’t say I don’t miss the working day joy but, as I say below, the security of knowing that, come teatime, there’s a feast of to assault, is a banging feeling.

Hayes is working tonight and so is Roy Keane – a happy chance, given the Father’s Day card my buddy Tinny received this morning.

In the UK, the undoubted star has been the wonderful Emma Hayes. I remember the first time I heard her co-commentate, many years ago now on BBC radio. Her ability to identify what sets the pattern of a match, simplifying complex tactical plans without being patronising, but making clear she’s the expert and compelling us to listen, is unique.

If I’m honest, I can’t say I love Henry as a pundit, though I think he’s got loads better lately. It’s brilliant when ex-players get into coaching and become obsessed with the detail – their punditry goes to an entirely different level, as we’ve seen in the UK with Robbie Savage.

We’ll go into a little more tactical detail in due course. But in the meantime, I enjoyed this piece on Henry v Lalas almost as much as Aaron Timms enjoyed writing it.

The switch to a more defensive formation makes perfect sense – Belgium are are far bigger attacking threat than Egypt, so the plan is to absorb pressure and try for something on the counter or from a set-piece. If they can get something from the game, great, but if not, they’d have taken a win or bust against Egypt in match three.

Iran, meanwhile, make three changes. In defence, Rezeaelen is out, with Hardani in, while the change in formation, 4-4-2 to 5-4-1, sees Kanani also picked, with Yousefi excluded from midfield; and finally, Moghanlu is sent to the bench, with Hajisafi making space.

Rudi Garcia, the Belgium manager, makes four changes to the side which drew with Egypt. At right-back, Castagne is replaced by De Cuyper; in the pivot, it’s Raskin not Onana; Doku is ill, so Saelemaekerrs comes in; and up front, Lukaku is fit enough to start, so De Ketelaere drops out.

In Atlanta, a tousing is being administered.