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#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.
