There was a moment, just before the half hour mark, when Belgium might have felt the football gods were against them. A penalty award, given then over...
There was a moment, just before the half hour mark, when Belgium might have felt the football gods were against them. A penalty award, given then overturned by a VAR check, could have rattled a lesser side. But this Belgium team, blessed with a deep well of technical quality and a ruthless streak, simply shrugged it off. They broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, and once they did, the floodgates opened.It came from a set piece, that most reliable of routes for sides facing a stubborn low block. Kevin De Bruyne's corner caused chaos in the New Zealand box. The ball took a cruel deflection off defender Tim Payne, and there was Leandro Trossard, alert and predatory, to poke home from close range. It was a classic poacher's finish, the sort that all top goal scorers have in their locker. The All Whites, to their credit, did not fold immediately, but the cracks were beginning to show.From that point, it became a procession. Trossard added his second before the interval, a clinical strike that showcased his growing confidence in front of goal. The second half was simply a masterclass in transitional play from the Red Devils. They picked New Zealand apart with incisive passing and intelligent movement, running out comfortable 5. 1 winners. It was a performance of tactical flexibility and relentless attacking intent.So Belgium breeze through to the last 32 as winners of Group G. Squeaky bum time will have to wait for another day. They now face a tie against one of the eight best third placed teams, a reward that should fill the rest of the knockout bracket with a degree of concern. On this evidence, Roberto Martinez's side are hitting their stride at exactly the right moment. Can anyone stop them
