Belgium eased into the Round of 32 with a convincing 5-1 win over New Zealand, securing first place in Group G and a meeting with one of the tournament’s third-placed teams.

For New Zealand, defeat brought their World Cup campaign to an end.

We reflect on this game in our Scout Notes, which features match stats from our World Cup Toolkit page.

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BELGIUM 5-1 NEW ZEALAND

• Goals: Trossard x2, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Saelemaekers
• Assists: Vanaken, Raskin, Lukaku
• Top points scorers: Trossard (17), De Bruyne (12), Lukaku (11), Saelemaekers (9)

TEAM STATS

PLAYER STATS

SCOUT NOTES

• A suspension for Nathan Ngoy ($3.7m) following his red card in Round 2 forced Belgium into a defensive reshuffle. Brandon Mechele ($3.9m) moved across to right centre-back. That allowed Arthur Theate ($4.5m) to come into the side on the left. Timothy Castagne ($4.7m) also replaced Thomas Meunier ($3.8m) at right-back. In midfield, Hans Vanaken ($5.5m) came in for Nicolas Raskin ($5.3m).
• There was also a notable change in attack. Jérémy Doku ($7.5m) returned after missing the previous match following the birth of his child. He started on the right wing. That allowed Leandro Trossard ($6.6m) to switch across to the left.
• Doku was a major talking point in Belgium’s pre-match press conference. When asked about his return, the manager said:

“Jérémy returned three days ago. He only took part in a small part of training two days ago, and today he did much more.

He still hadn’t trained for seven full days, which isn’t insignificant. We’re happy to have him back with us. What’s certain is that he doesn’t have 90 minutes in his legs, so he’ll probably come off the bench.

On the other hand, whatever time he spends on the pitch, he’s a player who can make the difference. But our game isn’t based on one player alone – it’s the collective that is the strength of the Belgium team.”

• Charles De Ketelaere ($5.6m) returned to the starting XI after recovering from injury, with Romelu Lukaku ($7.4m) dropping to the bench. Before kick-off, manager Rudi Garcia addressed Lukaku’s fitness and explained the decision, saying:

“The situation with Romelu is quite clear, you’ve known it from the beginning: he doesn’t have 90 minutes in his legs. So if he starts, he’ll have to come off, and if he doesn’t start, he can help us from the bench. It’s as simple as that. He’s doing well.”

• Belgium dominated the match from a statistical perspective. They controlled possession, generated 3.69 xG (expected goals), created four big chances and fired an incredible 35 shots.
• Two players stood out throughout, combining brilliantly to tear open the New Zealand defence. Trossard finished with a 17-point fantasy haul. He looked dangerous from the opening whistle. His early left-footed strike appeared to have put Belgium ahead after bouncing off the post, but New Zealand cleared the ball off the line. Trossard soon threatened again. Kevin De Bruyne ($7.5m) picked him out inside the box, but a deflection sent the effort over the crossbar.
• Belgium’s pressure eventually paid off. De Bruyne whipped in a corner and Trossard timed his run perfectly, arriving at the back post to bundle home the opener. The pair continued to combine well. Trossard slipped De Bruyne through inside the area, but the midfielder couldn’t convert. Moments later, De Bruyne’s shot cannoned off Vanaken and fell kindly for Trossard, who chested the ball down before rifling it past the goalkeeper. Their partnership produced another goal soon after. Trossard burst through the middle before losing possession, but the loose ball rolled straight to De Bruyne, who curled a superb left-footed finish into the corner from outside the box to make it 3-0.
• Trossard was outstanding from start to finish. He scored twice and registered seven attempts on goal. He easily could have had even more returns. De Bruyne also impressed and arguably deserved more than his 12-point haul.
• Substitute Lukaku then made his mark. Belgium’s all-time leading scorer powered home a header from Raskin’s cross before turning provider himself. His pass found fellow substitute Alexis Saelemaekers ($5.7m), who finished to make it 5-1. Lukaku ended the match with 11 fantasy points. Whether that display earns him a start in the Round of 32 remains open to debate, especially after another quiet performance from De Ketelaere.
• Fantasy managers who invested in Belgium’s defence may feel unfortunate. New Zealand failed to create a single big chance all match. Their only goal came from a corner. The initial delivery was parried into the path of Elijah Just, who reacted quickest and fired home to round off an impressive individual group-stage campaign.
• Two other performances also deserve a mention. Doku struggled to influence the game during his 56-minute appearance, producing just two tame efforts on goal and two key passes. Maxim De Cuyper ($4.5m) also came close to scoring. His powerful strike forced an excellent save as the goalkeeper tipped it over the crossbar.
• Belgium are still waiting to discover their Round of 32 opponents. South Korea, Senegal, Algeria or Austria are the most likely possibilities. Whoever they face, Belgium head into the knockout stage full of confidence. Their attacking rhythm continues to improve, and the understanding between their key forwards is becoming increasingly dangerous.