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Romelu Lukaku has praised the performance of Eden Hazard after the Premier League duo teamed up to help Belgium open their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a win. Everton striker Lukaku, 23, netted two goals as Roberto Martinez's first competitive match in charge of the Red Devils began with a 3-0 victory in Cyprus. Lukaku was, however, quick to pay tribute to Hazard, 25, after the Chelsea midfielder's inspirational display in which he orchestrated his team's play before directly teeing up Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco for Belgium's third and winning a last-minute penalty, subsequently missed by club teammate Michy Batshuayi. "Eden made the difference, Kevin [De Bruyne] had a very good game, the defence was excellent. We scored three goals, we didn't concede any. In short, we started very well," Lukaku told RTBF, who added the scars of Belgium's surprise Euro 2016 quarterfinal exit to Wales were healing. "We've turned the page. We know what we did wrong. The coach has shown us the mistakes we made in the past. Everyone has to be ready, because competition for places is fierce. "The coach reminds us of that every day in training. If we're not focused on it, he'll put someone else in. We know what we have to do, and the quality will improve. We did some good work with Marc Wilmots, that mustn't be forgotten. Now, it's a different regime we have to adapt and try to continue to progress more." Lukaku's brace in Nicosia could be the start of an upturn in fortunes for Everton. After breaking the Toffees' single-season Premier League scoring record last term, he was expected to make a significant mark at the European Championship. Instead, a return of two goals in five outings reflected his struggles to reproduce his club form for Belgium. Lukaku indicated the appointment of Martinez, a familiar face after three years together at Goodison Park, may help him bring that fight to an end. He added: "I know the coach well. I knew what he was expecting of me, which made things easier. I did what I had to do."
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