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Belgium entered the FIFA World Cup touted to be the dark horses, and it didn't take them very long to show the world why. The Red Devils had been unbeaten in nine of their last World Cup group stage games and they simply weren't in the mood to let that change last night.
The country's 'Golden Generation' oozed class as they dismantled a hapless Panama side in what turned out to be an absolutely dominant performance. Dries Mertens opened the scoring for the Belgians with an excellent volley in the 47th minute, just as the second half began.
Romelu Lukaku then stole the show with a crucial brace as he first headed in a pinpoint cross from Kevin De Bruyne, who else, and then kept his composure to perfection to beat Panama's onrushing goalkeeper, Jaime Penedo, in a one-on-one scenario to give Belgium an infallible 3-0 lead and subsequent victory.
Roberto Martinez, Belgium's manager, could not have asked for a better start and while keeping that in mind, here is a look at three things that went right for the Belgian Red Devils:
#3 Constant application of pressure
A popular saying goes, "attack is the best form of defence", and that's exactly what Belgium seemed to follow last night. Roberto Martinez's side dominated the game right from the get-go.
Maintaining 61.9% possession of the ball and making a total of 568 passes, the men in red constantly controlled the game, often keeping the ball in Panama's territory forcing them to defend for a majority of the game.
With the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens and Eden Hazard, there was little doubt that attack would be the way to go. However, for a team that's often accused of not clicking together, the execution was always going to be crucial and the Belgians seemed to hit the nail the plan to perfection.
Further, Belgium outplayed Panama in nearly every department, winning 18 aerial duels as compared to Panama's 10 while also making 8 successful dribbles as opposed to Panama's 4.
This emphatic victory is bound to inject plenty of confidence into the side and it's certainly going to be exciting to watch them going forward.
#2 Winning the midfield battle, courtesy Kevin De Bruyne
The midfield battle was always going to be a crucial component of the game and had the power to decide the fate of the game as it eventually did. Kevin De Bruyne, one of the best midfielders in the current game was expected to play a large role and play it he did.
Apart from the stunning outfoot assist that gave Romelu Lukaku his first goal and Belgium their second goal, De Bruyne nonchalantly controlled the midfield in a way that only he can.
He took 90 touches of the ball as compared to the combined total of 108 touches that both of Panama's central midfielders - Armando Cooper and Anibal Godoy - took. Further, De Bruyne made 73 passes in the game while both of the aforementioned Panama defenders could only muster a combined total of 77.
If that wasn't enough, he also won more aerial duels than the two of them put together, while making just as many successful tackles. Trust Kevin De Bruyne to be a one-man army in midfield, and as long as his brilliance persists, Belgium will undeniably be held in good stead.
#1 Romelu Lukaku continues to make merry
Despite an attacking first half from Belgium, Romelu Lukaku had been notably isolated by Panama's defence. In fact, at one point, Lukaku had only registered three touches of the ball - fewer than both sides' goalkeepers.
However, the big Belgian took matters into his own hands in the second half, getting a lot more involved in the game. In the 69th minute, his striker's instinct kicked in, allowing him to get into the right position at the right time to find himself at the receiving end of a sublime cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
From that position, he was never going to miss and he put in a sublime header to find the back of the net from close range. He then ran free to latch onto a weighted Eden Hazard ball before finding himself in a one-on-one situation with Panama's keeper.
The rest, as they say, is history. Lukaku sublimely placed the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper to score his second of the night.
Rom, as he's fondly called, scored 11 goals in 8 World Cup qualifying games and he now has 2 from Belgium's first group stage game. If he can succeed in maintaining this proficiency, Belgium could very well go all the way and even lift the World Cup trophy - something they've never accomplished.
