Thursday 29 September 2016 16:16, UK
Belgium strikers Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke will go head-to-head when Everton host Crystal Palace on Friday Night Football, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 6.30pm - but which striker is more effective?
Both target men will be eager to impress Belgium boss Roberto Martinez - who will have to decide which striker to start for the World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Gibraltar next month.
Lukaku has been Belgium's first choice to date, however, both players have similar goal-scoring stats with almost identical goal ratios, shot conversion rates and shooting accuracy.
After scoring 18 in 37 Premier League appearances last season, Lukaku has started the new campaign in impressive fashion with four goals in four games.
Three of those goals came against Sunderland, with the 23-year-old's hat-trick ending an 11-game goalless streak before he came up with a match-winning strike against Middlesbrough.
Benteke, meanwhile, is enjoying his new role at Crystal Palace following his £32m summer switch from Liverpool.
The striker has scored twice in four appearances so far, including a 93rd minute winner last time out against Sunderland.
Both strikers are 6ft 3in tall - but Benteke edges Lukaku in terms of aerial prowess. Of Benteke's 24 Premier League goals over the past three seasons, 38 per cent have been headers, while Lukaku's aerial goal ratio over the same period is 22 per cent - seven headed goals out of a total of 32.
Benteke's former club Liverpool adapted their style to get the most out of their striker, recording season-high totals of crosses (33) in two of his 90-minute appearances in 2015/16.
Crystal Palace's style of play appears to be a good fit for Benteke, with the Eagles recording a league-high 972 crosses and corners last season and already registering another league-high 167 so far this term.
Benteke has only scored two more headers than Lukaku over the last three seasons - but that is in part down to the Palace man playing just 4,252 Premier League minutes compared to his compatriot's 6,436 minutes in that time.
Lukaku covers more distance than his countryman, averaging 8.19km and completing 39.1 sprints per 90 minutes since 2014/15, compared to Benteke's 7.15km and 32.9 sprints. In terms of pace, Lukaku has hit 34.3km/h compared to Benteke's 33.6km/h.
Benteke occasionally drops deep but primarily influences the game from the left wing, while Lukaku rarely plays in his own half and operates down the right channel, as the touchmaps show.
For Liverpool and Aston Villa, right-footed Benteke spent twice as much time on the left side of the penalty box, but took nearly half of his shots around the right-hand side of the six-yard box.
Conversely, left-footed Lukuku has tended to occupy the right side of the penalty area but shot from the left side of the six-yard box during his three seasons at Goodison Park.
So, the two players frequently drift in with diagonal runs from opposite sides to poach goals, with Benteke running into the box from left to right and Lukaku running from right to left.
Both strikers are proven scorers in the penalty area but are less of a threat from range, having only scored two league goals apiece from outside the box in the last three years.
The Belgium target men will be looking to continue their impressive starts this season after under-par performances last term and stake their claim for a starting place in Belgium's upcoming World Cup qualifiers..
Everton are currently fifth in the Premier League under new boss Ronald Koeman, while Palace are seventh after winning their last three games.
Which striker will have the final say when the two teams meet on Friday? Vote below...
Watch Everton v Crystal palace live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 6.30pm on Friday.
Watch every minute of the Ryder Cup, plus Premier League football and the Malaysia Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price!
