Belgium booked their place in the World Cup knockout rounds with a 5-1 win over New Zealand in Vancouver on Saturday morning (UK time).
The Red Devils had endured a rough start to the tournament, drawing against both Egypt and Iran and scoring just one goal — which was an own goal.
However, the 2018 semi-finalists truly clicked into gear here, with a Leandro Trossard brace and further strikes from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers delivering their first victory of the tournament in a performance that yielded 55% possession and 35 shots to the tune of 3.65 xG.
Elijah Just’s fine late strike gave New Zealand faint hope and temporarily pushed Belgium back into second in the group. However, Lukaku adding the fourth immediately leapfrogged them back above Egypt, who simultaneously drew 1-1 with Iran.
South Korea now await in a last 32 clash in Seattle.
Trossard leads the charge
Belgium haven’t really shown up at the World Cup since their run to the 2018 semi-finals, exiting in the group stage in 2022 with two defeats from three and two draws to open this campaign.
However, the Red Devils finally arrived in North America here, with a performance that ripped New Zealand to shreds. The catalyst behind this tournament-saving victory was undoubtedly Leandro Trossard.
The Arsenal forward was on a one-man mission to keep his country’s hopes alive in the first half, hitting the inside of the post in the 11th minute and almost earning a penalty in the 20th, with Finn Surman blocking Trossard’s shot with his arm — though a VAR review ruled the NZL defender’s arm to be in a natural position.
Trossard finally got his breakthrough in the 28th minute, pouncing from close range after some shoddy defending from Tim Payne.
And he didn’t let up after the break, with the 31-year-old rattling home a powerful half-volley just five minutes into the second half to effectively kill the tie in double-quick time.
Kevin De Bruyne took over from there, but Trossard continued to probe and prowl, ending the match with a match-high seven shots and 12 touches in the opposition box, alongside four chances created and 100% dribble success.
Trossard was rested for the final 19 minutes and denied his hat-trick. However, he is one of a clutch of players who ensures Belgium remain a threat at this tournament, and Rudi Garcia will need him fresh for that clash with South Korea next week.
New Zealand out in groups again despite positive glimpses
In many ways, it’s been a positive World Cup campaign for New Zealand.
The All Whites earned a 2-2 draw against Iran in their first game, which actually meant they were four games unbeaten in World Cup finals matches when coupled with their three draws back in 2010 — their last appearance at the tournament. That was also just the second time they’d ever scored more than once in a single World Cup match.
Meanwhile, NZL took the lead against a strong Egypt side and only succumbed to Mohamed Salah and Co in the second half.
However, the reality is that New Zealand lacked the quality to seriously threaten a run to the knockout rounds for the first time in their history. In fact, a few sporadic openings aside, they were utterly dismantled by Belgium in Vancouver.
What’s more, Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood went through the entire tournament without a goal, which hamstrung Darren Bazeley’s side more than anything else.
Plenty of positives to take from this summer — not least Just netting three goals — but New Zealand’s wait for a World Cup win or knockout appearance goes on.
Kevin De Bruyne rolls back the years
While Trossard was the spark for Belgium, much of the talk in the wake of this victory is likely to focus on Kevin De Bruyne.
Now 34 years old, we all know that KDB is not the force he used to be. However, he’s still shown more than enough during his time with Napoli so far to prove he can rip any defence apart on his day, while he created five chances against Egypt and Iran combined.
On Saturday, De Bruyne rolled back the years to put New Zealand to the sword and remind everybody else in the tournament of the considerable threat he still poses.
The former Man City man scored in style, dispatching a wonderful low finish to put his side 3-0 up. But that was just one moment in a performance that produced four chances created, 10 passes into the final third, two successful dribbles from four attempts and six touches in the opposition box. That, and a whole highlights reel of sublime control, precision passes and deft turns.
As is the case with Trossard’s brace and the entire Belgian performance, the quality of opposition must be taken into account. However, De Bruyne seems to be warming into this World Cup, and that can only mean good things for the Red Devils heading into the knockout rounds.
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