June 27 (THEWILL) — Belgium emphatically rediscovered its attacking swagger, thrashing New Zealand 5-1 in their final Group G fixture at BC Place in Vancouver to round off the FIFA World Cup group stage with a statement performance.
Having endured an inconsistent start to the tournament, the Red Devils finally produced the clinical display many had expected, with Leandro Trossard scoring twice before Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers completed the rout.
Belgium dominated possession and created chance after chance, finishing with an astonishing 33 shots to New Zealand’s six.
Despite the relentless pressure, the All Whites remained competitive for much of the opening half before Trossard broke the deadlock in the 28th minute after reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area.
The Arsenal forward struck five minutes after in the second half, doubling Belgium’s advantage and putting the Europeans firmly in control.
Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne then produced a trademark moment of brilliance in the 66th minute, collecting a loose ball outside the area before driving an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner.
New Zealand found a late consolation when Elijah Just scored in the 84th minute, registering his third FIFA World Cup goal and further cementing his place among the country’s most prolific scorers on football’s biggest stage.
Any hopes of a late comeback were quickly extinguished as Romelu Lukaku rose highest to head home Belgium’s fourth goal just two minutes later.
The strike saw the veteran forward become Belgium’s all-time leading scorer at the FIFA World Cup with six tournament goals.
Alexis Saelemaekers completed the scoring deep into stoppage time to cap a dominant Belgian display.
Despite conceding five goals, New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe emerged with credit after making five important saves to prevent an even heavier defeat.
Belgium’s convincing victory underlined the quality within their squad as they carried renewed momentum into the knockout phase, while New Zealand bowed out after a spirited but ultimately outmatched performance.
