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Belgium got their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with an emphatic 8-0 thumping of Belarus on Tuesday night.
Opting to rest his star players, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez named a second-string starting XI to take on the visitors at Den Dreef. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku watched from the stands, while Brighton’s Leandro Trossard, Michy Batshuayi and Jeremy Doku led the Belgium attack.
In an extremely one-sided affair, goals from Michy Batshuayi, Hans Vanaken, Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku saw Belgium take a 4-0 half-time lead.
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Belgium were unrelenting in the second half as well, dominating proceedings, as the visitors created next to nothing in attack and were more than willing to sit deep.
The 2018 FIFA, World Cup semi-finalists, continued their free-scoring performance, with Dennis Praet and Christian Benteke getting on the scoresheet before Trossard and Vanaken both completed their brace to make it 8-0 for Belgium.
The Red Devils now sit comfortably at the top of Group E with seven points from three games. Meanwhile, Belarus, who suffered their heaviest-ever defeat, drop to fourth place. On that note, let's have a look at the Belgium player ratings.
Simon Mignolet 6/10
The Belgium goalkeeper mostly took goal-kicks all game, as he was not really threatened by the toothless Belarus attack, who had no shot on target.
Toby Alderweireld 7.5/10
The Tottenham Hotspur man was sold all solid down the left flank. Toby Alderweireld constantly marauded forward, looking to make something happen in the Belarus half of the pitch. He finished with one assist and won all but one of his four ground duels attempted.
Jason Denayer 7/10
It was a calm and composed performance from the Olympique Lyon defender. Playing at the centre of Belgium’s three-man defence, Jason Denayer covered for the overlapping Alderweireld. He was extremely accurate with his passes also, finishing with a 96% pass-completion ratio.
Jan Vertonghen 7/10
Wearing the Belgium captain's armband on the night, Jan Vertonghen led by example defensively. He had one clearance and one interception and also won two ground and three areal duels.
Thorgan Hazard 7/10
Thorgan Hazard might not have registered a goal or an assist, but he was buzzing all night. His defensive contributions were top-notch, as he often tracked back to help his back-line. Hazard won seven of eight attempted ground duels, six tackles and two interceptions.
Thomas Meunier 7/10
Playing as a wing-back, the Borussia Dortmund man linked up brilliantly with his teammates and often ran forward to create chances in attack. While Thomas Meunier was caught out of positions occasionally, he did well to recover. He finished the game with an assist while also making two interceptions and a tackle.
Hans Vanaken 9/10
It was a colossal performance from the Club Brugge midfielder. In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Hans Vanaken filled in superbly. He bagged two goals and created one assist in a superb individual outing for Belgium.
Dennis Praet 8.5/10
The Leicester City man was handed his first appearance of the international break, and he rewarded the head coach’s faith in him.
Dennis Praet, alongside Vanaken, dictated the pace and tempo of the game as he kept play ticking in midfield. He finished with one goal and an assist while creating two big chances for Belgium.
Leandro Trossard 8.5/10
It was a superb individual display from the Brighton and Hove Albion man. He was lively the entire game, looking to put the Belarus defence to the sword. Leandro Trossard grabbed his first two gales for Belgium when he scored either side of half-time.
Jeremy Doku 8.5/10
The Stade Rennais forward was a constant threat to the Belarus defenders, as he ran at them at every given opportunity. Jeremy Doku completed a game-high six take-ons while scoring a goal and creating two assists.
Michy Batshuayi 7/10
The former Chelsea man opened the scoring for Belgium in the 14th minute after a fine piece of play from Doku.
He fizzled out as the game progressed. Batshuayi chipped in with an assist in the second half before making way for Christian Benteke shortly after the hour-mark.
Player ratings for Belgium substitutes
Dedryck Boyata 6/10
Dedryck Boyata replaced Jason Denayer at the start of the second half and did enough to ensure Belgium’s clean sheet remained intact. He completed 100% of his passes during his time on the pitch, winning one interception and ground duel apiece.
Christian Benteke 7/10
Christian Benteke was subbed on for Michy Batshuayi in the 64th minute and immediately made an impact in the game. The Crystal Palace man joined in on the fun by finding the back of the net in the 70th minute.
Leander Dendoncker 6.5/10
The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder replaced Jan Vertonghen in the 64th minute and linked up expertly with his teammates. Leander Dendoncker made 29 touches, completed all his long-ball attempts and finished with an impressive 96% passing accuracy.
Youri Tielemans 6.5/10
The Leicester City man replaced Dennis Praet at the centre of the park for the final 20 minutes of the game. Youri Tielemans produced a near-flawless outing, going about contributing his bit to help Belgium see out the win.
Adnan Januzaj 7/10
The former Manchester United man came on for the final 13 minutes of the game and provided the assist for Belgium's eighth of the night.
