Belgium 8-0 Belarus: 5 talking points as Red Devils run riot on home turf | 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
A second-string Belgium side decimated Belarus 8-0 to get back to winning ways in Group E of UEFA' s section for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Roberto Martinez named a vastly changed side from the one that played out a 1-1 draw with Czech Republic on Saturday. Only his three-man defense remained the same, with all other eight players replaced in the starting lineup.
It took just 14 minutes for Belgium to get ahead. Jeremy Doku teed up Michy Batshuayi inside the box and the Crystal Palace man made no mistake from close range.
They doubled their lead three minutes later, with Hans Vanaken scoring his first goal for Belgium from a superbly lofted pass by Thomas Meunier.
The Club Brugge man turned provider in the 38th minute by setting up Leandro Trossard on the edge of the area. The 26-year-old celebrated his first start for his country with his first goal.
Jeremy Doku got in on the goalmouth action three minutes later with an excellent solo goal that saw him run a considerable distance before beating Aleksandr Gutor with a shot from close range.
It was 5-0 just four minutes into the second half. Batshuayi set Dennis Praet up and the Leicester City man placed a fabulous shot into the bottom left corner.
Belarus missed a golden opportunity soon after, with Yuri Kendysh firing wide when he should have done better after being played through on goal.
Three goals in the final 20 minutes from Christian Benteke, Leandro Trossard and Hans Vanaken completed the eight-goal rout to send Belgium top of the standings in Group E.
Here are five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Belgium fringe players send a statement of intent to Roberto Martinez
Belgium arguably have the most talented pool of players on the international scene right now.
Virtually every position has two to three world-beaters performing at the highest levels and it goes without saying that competition for places is extremely tight.
While some names like Kevin de Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku are shoo-ins for the starting lineup, several other positions are still very much up for grabs.
The game against Belarus offered some of the players on the fringes of the Belgium squad to stake a claim and they played their part excellently.
The likes of Hans Vannaken and Jeremy Doku are not guaranteed their spots in the European Championship in June but their performance here would go a long way in solidifying their claim for a place on the plane.
Others like Dennis Praet, Michy Batshuayi and Leandro Trossard also gave a statement performance, while Adnan Januzaj stepped off the bench to provide an assist after 12 minutes on the field.
#4 Hapless Belarus help several Belgium players break their international duck
One of the biggest highlights of a player's career is representing their country on the international scene and those who are lucky enough to score a goal in national colors remember the day forever.
Belarus' poor performance on the night meant that as many as three Belgium players scored their first international goals in the same game.
The first to get in on the act was Hans Vanaken on what was his eighth cap and he was soon followed by Leandro Torssard and Dennis Praet.
The former two ended the night with a brace each, while Praet had a solitary goal but each man will have this game against Belarus etched on their memory forever.