Taking a bow
The Belgium fans have been acclaiming their victorious players. They will be hoping that this is just the start of a memorable World Cup adventure.
One of the characteristics of a good team is to be able to count on its individuals to make the difference when the collective is not functioning as it should. That was the case for Belgium. After a frustrating first half, Dries Mertens unlocked the game with a quite birlliant shot. Kevin de Bruyne then took his turn with a very skilful assist for Romelu Lukaku, while Eden Hazard and Lukaku combined well for the third. Without playing particularly well, the Belgians managed to take control of the game.
THE FINAL WHISTLE SOUNDS.
Job done for Belgium thanks to an excellent second-half performance and three beautifully crafted goals. Panama, though, made it tough for them in that first half and were by no means disgraced.