How Belgium reached the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals; team stats, key players, tactics

Topics: World Cup, Russia 2018, Belgium

Having been named among the favorites to win this year’s World Cup, Belgium is well and truly on course to glory.

A thrilling comeback in the Round of 16 against Japan reechoed the narrative that the Red Devils could very much go all the way to secure global immortality at Russia 2018. On Monday, it took more than individual aptitude to turn things around in the 3-2 victory over the Blue Samurai.

The journey to the quarter-final had the show of character and the desire to get the results as foundation blocks right from the first group game. It is with these attributes that Belgium still remains one of the sides with a 100% record at the tournament so far.

Firstly, the Europeans got their campaign underway with a 3-0 win over Panama. Having ended the first-half with a 0-0 scoreline, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku stepped up in the second half to secure the win with a goal and a brace apiece.

The latter led the 5-2 demolishing exercise against Tunisia with yet another brace and only failed to feature in the 1-0 win the final group game against England after sustaining an injury. On July six, Belgium – after its Round of 16 heroics – will face its biggest test at this year's World Cup.

Will Hazard, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Mertens and co. be able to silence Neymar, Coutinho, Gabriel, Willian and the likes? Only time will be the judge on this one.

Tactics

The 3-4-2-1 formation which has Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku spearheading the attack has proved to be very effective for the Red Devils since the opening group games against Panama. The trio has combined to score almost 59% of the country's goals at the World Cup thus far.

Although some part of the starting eleven has been alterated in all the four games played so far, the personnel who step in mostly execute their duties wih aplomb. With Belgium boasting a star-studded squad list, deploying the right man in the right position is a mere formality to getting the results and that is what has been witnessed at the tournament so far.

Key team stats

• Belgium is unbeaten in 22 matches across all competitions. Their last defeat in a competitive match was to Wales in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.

• Belgium has scored more goals than any team at Russia 2018 (12).

• Belgium's Romelu Lukaku is the second highest goalscorer at the World Cup with four goals.

• Belgium reached the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup at Brazil and the semi-finals in 1986 when they were beaten by a Diego Maradona-led Argentina.