#2 Kevin de Bruyne produces a masterclass performance
He was on another level today. Kevin de Bruyne delivered what was arguably one of the best performances in the competition yet. He set the tone for a dominant Belgian performance in Bordeaux, making defence-cutting passes and delivering some dangerous balls off set-pieces to keep the Irish defence on its toes. The rest of the team finally responded to an instrumental performance by the playmaker to put Republic of Ireland out of sight in the second half.
He assisted the first goal, charging about 50 yards upfield – skipping past Stephen Ward in the process - and laying the ball off to Romelu Lukaku, who ensured that de Bruyne’s effort was duly rewarded. It was a next-to-flawless display by the 24-year old.