Trossard and Praet on the scoresheet as Belgium hit eight

Belgium have scored 12 goals in three World Cup 2022 qualifying matches

Brighton's Leandro Trossard and Leicester's Dennis Praet scored their first Belgium goals in a crushing World Cup 2022 qualifying win over Belarus.

Michy Batshuayi got the first before Hans Vanaken's volley made it 2-0 to the number one team in Fifa's rankings.

Trossard's exquisite finish from 22 yards extended the lead before Jeremy Doku added the fourth before half-time.

Praet netted the fifth, late goals by Christian Benteke, Trossard and Vanaken completing the rout.

The result lifted Belgium, with seven points from three games, to the top of Group E.

Belgium's players lined up in T-shirts with the words "football supports change" before kick-off

The Czech Republic had started the day at the summit but dropped to second after losing to Wales.

Belgium boss Roberto Martinez could even afford the luxury of leaving star players Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku on the bench for his team's third match of this qualifying campaign.

They were not required as Belgium eased to victory, Martinez's side 5-0 ahead inside 50 minutes as they opened up a three-point lead at the top of the group.

Before kick-off, the Belgium team came on to the field wearing black T-shirts featuring the words "football supports change", in reference to the well-publicised plight of migrant workers in Qatar, hosts of the next World Cup.

It followed similar messages to those promoted by the Netherlands, Norway and Germany teams in the past few days.

Line-upsBelgium

Formation 3-4-3

12Mignolet

2Alderweireld4Denayer5Vertonghen

15Meunier19Praet17Vanaken10T Hazard

11Trossard23Batshuayi22Doku

12Mignolet2Alderweireld4DenayerSubstituted forBoyataat 45'minutes5VertonghenSubstituted forDendonckerat 64'minutes15Meunier19PraetSubstituted forTielemansat 71'minutes17Vanaken10T Hazard11Trossard23BatshuayiSubstituted forBentekeat 64'minutes22DokuSubstituted forJanuzajat 77'minutesSubstitutes1Kaminski3Boyata6Dendoncker7De Bruyne8Tielemans9Lukaku13Casteels14Mertens16Saelemaekers18Januzaj20Benteke21CastagneBelarus

Formation 5-4-1

1Gutor

13Podstrelov3Pavlovets4Naumov5Polyakov2Yuzepchuk

22Stasevich15Kislyak23Kendysh9Ngome

17Lisakovich

1Gutor13PodstrelovSubstituted forSignevichat 45'minutes3Pavlovets4Naumov5Polyakov2Yuzepchuk22Stasevich15KislyakSubstituted forMaevskiat 61'minutes23KendyshSubstituted forBakharat 87'minutes9NgomeSubstituted forSavitskiyat 45'minutes17LisakovichSubstituted forKlimovichat 75'minutesSubstitutes6Klimovich7Laptev8Savitskiy10Bakhar11Signevich12Chichkan14Yablonski16Pavlyuchenko18

View Original Article