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WORLD CUP 2018 | ||
BELGIUM |
vs | PANAMA | |
| FIFA RANKING 3 | FIFA RANKING 55 | ||
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| TEAM PROFILES |
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| BELGIUM It's time to deliver for a team featuring such exceptional talent. But Belgium is a country that is yet to break into the semi-finals of a tournament. It is widely acknowledged they have been held back by mediocre management. Now it is up to Roberto Martinez, a Spanish coach, to get the best out of this plethora of stars. If you have Romelu Lukaku up front, Eden Hazard as a creative genius and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for a final lock on goal, the ingredients for success are there. There are issues in defence. Central defender Vincent Kompany is as brittle as he can be brilliant and there are very few credible back-ups available for the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. PANAMAA first-ever qualification for the World Cup earned Panama a national holiday. Reaching the quarter-finals this time would be seen as a success. The Mexicans have only done that twice - 1970 and 1986 when they were hosts. The Central Americans made it to Russia in style, defeating Costa Rica 2-1 in the final qualifier. Panama has only four million people, but finished ahead of the United States, which has about 320 million. |
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STAR PLAYER |
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| BELGIUM | PANAMA | ||
| Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) Overshadowed Eden Hazard at the 2014 World Cup, he has only grown in stature, especially since his move to City and his more withdrawn position on the pitch. |
Luis Tejada (Universitario) - The striker has scored 43 goals for Panama. |
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