Belgium batters Belarus in eight-goal rout
Leandro Trossard and Hans Vanaken scored twice as Belgium eased past Belarus 8-0 to move to the top of its FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying group in style.
Belgium fell behind in its first two Group E games - a 3-1 win comeback win over Wales and 1-1 draw with Czech Republic - but was four goals ahead at half-time on Wednesday (AEDT).
Michy Batshuayi opened the scoring for Belgium after 14 minutes at Den Dreef in Leuven in the absence of the rested Romelu Lukaku and Vanaken added a quickfire second for the home side.
Trossard and Jeremy Doku were also on the scoresheet before half-time and further strikes followed after the interval from Dennis Praet and Christian Benteke, before Trossard and Vanaken completed the rout - Belarus' heaviest-ever loss.
Batshuayi failed to beat Aleksandr Gutor from close range early on but he made amends by picking out the roof of the net from a tight angle from the next chance that fell his way.
Vanaken doubled Belgium's lead three minutes later with a thumping volley from six yards and Trossard sent a glorious third into the top-left corner from long range.
Martinez's men were home and dry before the interval as Doku beat Gutor with a well-taken strike after being played in by Praet.
Praet went from provider to goalscorer four minutes into the second half with a precise drive from outside the box to join Vanaken and Trossard in scoring his first senior international goal.
Belgium squandered some presentable opportunities before Benteke guided Toby Alderweireld's cross into the bottom-right corner with a crisp first-time finish for a sixth goal.
Vanaken was somehow denied his second by a Gutor save on the line, but he would go on to round off the scoring late on after Trossard had doubled his own tally with a shot through the legs of the Belarus goalkeeper.
