A double strike from Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard and goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers carried the Red Devils into the last 32 in first place ahead of Egypt on goal difference.
Egypt claimed the runners-up spot after a 1-1 draw with Iran in Seattle. The Iranians, in finishing third in the group, face an anxious wait to see if they will progress to the knockout stage after they came from behind to hold Egypt, which ended in dramatic fashion with an apparent last-ditch winner ruled out for offside.
Belgium dominated a lopsided first half and had alarm bells ringing in the New Zealand defence early on when Trossard’s angled shot cannoned of the inside of the upright only to be cleared off the line by Tyler Binden.
The Red Devils looked poised to take the lead moments later when Jordanian referee Adham Mohammad pointed to the penalty spot after Trossard’s shot hit the arm of covering defender Finn Surman.
But VAR sent Mohammad to the monitor to take another look at the decision, which was subsequently overturned and New Zealand breathed again.
Yet Belgium did not have long to wait before the breakthrough and again it was Trossard who proved to be in the right place at the right time, bundling home from close range after De Bruyne’s corner sowed panic in the six-yard box.
Trossard effectively made the game safe five minutes into the second half, controlling a rebound in a crowded area to volley home past New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe at the near post.
De Bruyne then stroked home an elegant low finish in the 66th minute to make it 3-0, a crucial goal which saw the Belgians leapfrog over Egypt into first place on goal difference.
Yet there was to be a dramatic end when New Zealand’s Elijah Just volleyed home a consolation strike from the edge of the area to make it 3-1.
That could have been potentially costly, with the goal suddenly bumping Belgium down into second place.
But Lukaku nodded home his team’s fourth in the 86th minute with his first touch just a minute after coming on as a substitute to return Belgium to the top of the table.
Saelemaekers completed the scoring with a shot from the edge of the area. (AFP & Reuters)
