News analysis

Good start for Belgium but defence is an issue

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Belgium started this World Cup with a great result, beating Panama 3-0 in their Group G opener on Monday, but it was not a display to be entirely happy about.

They were not so dominant in the first half and, after 25 minutes, you could see changes in their style when they started hitting long balls out of frustration.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 20, 2018, with the headline Good start for Belgium but defence is an issue. Subscribe