World Cup 2018: Belgium vs Panama, 5 Talking Points

#1 No pressure of being favourites on Belgium worked in their favour

Can Belgium go all the way?

The fact that they are widely considered as outsiders in the race for the trophy will not only take the pressure off of the side but will also probably will them on to achieve greatness and to make a statement to the world of football.

While all the talk had been about the Brazilians and the Germans and the French, this Belgian side has retained the majority of their last edition's side, which made the quarter-finals in Brazil. With hardly any player in the side, with the exception of the captain Vincent Kompany, on the wrong side of their careers, it means that the current side has only benefitted from the four-year layoff.

This has given them ample time to get used to each other and gel together as a unit. The experience they've earned, playing for the biggest clubs in Europe, in the past four years seems to have done them a world of good, as the talent largely remains the same, but the maturity to see the game through is something that couldn't be associated with the Belgian side of 2014.

While the favourites like Germany, Brazil, Spain and Argentina all struggling to get off to a winning start to the World Cup, it seems that this could finally be the year of the dark-horse!