Belgium 3 Panama 0: Romelu Lukaku nets double as Roberto Martinez’s side ease to win in Group G opener
Dries Mertens opened the scoring with an emphatic volley in the 47th minute, before the Manchester United striker got involved
ROMELU LUKAKU ensured Belgium succeeded where the rest of the World Cup’s big boys failed.
Roberto Martinez’s men are ranked third in the world and the rest of Fifa’s top five - Germany, Brazil, Portugal and Argentina - had lost or drawn their opening game in Russia.
Yet after a goalless first half, Dries Mertens struck a stunning volley for the Red Devils before Lukaku scored twice against plucky Panama.
And while Belgium were nowhere near their best, they have got their Group G campaign off to the perfect start and already look strong favourites to progress to the last 16.
Panama can be proud of their efforts, having kept Martinez's star-studded side quiet for large parts of the game, and almost equalising after Mertens' opener.
But they will have to brush themselves down as they next face another daunting test against England on Sunday.
Panama were peppered in the early stages - Yannick Carrasco shooting straight at Jaime Penedo, before Dries Mertens saw his effort tipped over just seconds later.
And they were then almost gifted an opener as Eden Hazard picked up the ball from his rival captain Roman Torres’ fluffed back pass, but could only fire into the side netting from a tight angle.
Torres made amends for his error moments later when he got a crucial touch on Kevin De Bruyne’s cross to divert it away from the lurking Romelu Lukaku.
Belgium continued to dominate possession, with Hazard twice bursting into the box.
But he blazed wide with one effort and saw stopper Penedo tip wide the other.
Having weathered the storm, Hernan Dario Gomez’s World Cup newcomers grew into the game themselves - much to the delight of the potty Panamanians in the Sochi stands.
But after the joy of going into half-time goalless, Belgium finally got their opener two minutes after the restart.
After Torres cleared Hazard’s cross, the Chelsea star challenged in the air with Fidel Escobar.
And the ball dropped for Mertens, who struck a stunning volley from the right-side of the box which flew past the helpless Penedo.
It was a huge relief for manager Martinez - but his side so nearly conceded eight minutes later.
Edgar Barcenas clipped a ball over the Belgian backline and Michael Murillo just had Courtois to beat from close range, but the Chelsea keeper was quick off his line to smother.
And that was to be Panama’s only real opening as they conceded twice in six minutes.
From Hazard’s run, De Bruyne picked out Lukaku with the outside of his boot, and the Manchester United man stayed onside to head home in the 69th minute.
Then, Hazard again broke for Belgium, before slipping in Lukaku, who coolly lifted the ball over Penedo for his second and his country’s third.
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