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Belgium beat Panama with two moments of individual brilliance

Published 17:52 18 Jun 2018 BST

Robert Redmond
Belgium beat Panama with two moments of individual brilliance

Homesport

Belgium versus Panama wasn't a classic World Cup game, but it featured one of the goals of the tournament so far.

After a stodgy opening half, where Belgium struggled to break down the stubborn Central American side, they eventually took the lead with a brilliant goal just after the break. Roberto Martinez's broke down the right wing and their cross only half-cleared by Panama. The ball landed with Dries Mertens at the edge of the penalty area and the Napoli forward hit a perfect first-time dipping volley into the far corner. Even against such modest opposition, it was a sensational strike. https://twitter.com/RTEsoccer/status/1008743437477134336 Belgium's talented players then turned on the style, comfortably dispatching their hard-working, but limited, opponents. Romelu Lukaku scored twice, the first of which was a header set-up by a stunning pass from Kevin De Bruyne. https://twitter.com/RTEsoccer/status/1008749904707981312 The 3-0 victory put Martinez's team top of Group G ahead of England's game against Tunisia on Monday night. Next up for Belgium is Tunisia on Saturday.