Belgium were far superior: 5-1 and a huge gap in chances created
Belgium won 5-1 at BC Place with overwhelming dominance in what they produced: they took 34 shots and created chances worth 3.6 goals. New Zealand held on in spells, but fell far short in volume and accuracy.
Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 at BC Place, and the margin was fully backed up by the numbers from the match. The standout stat is brutal: the Belgian side took 34 shots and created chances worth 3.6 goals, compared with just 6 shots and 0.2 for New Zealand.
Tactical read
The match began with both teams in 4-2-3-1, but the similarity on the board did not translate into an even contest. Belgium had more of the ball, with 55% possession, but above all they turned that control into extremely high attacking output. It was not sterile possession: the shot count, 34 to 6, shows that the Belgian team kept setting up play close to the opposition goal and found far more ways to finish moves.
The link between what each side created and the final scoreline was pretty direct. Belgium scored 5 goals from 3.6 expected goals, a figure that reflects clear deservedness through volume and chance quality. New Zealand, meanwhile, produced only 0.2 and still managed a goal through Elijah Just in the 84'. That goal does not change the overall picture: the New Zealand side carried very little attacking threat for almost the entire match.
There was also a clear difference in shooting accuracy. Belgium put 9 shots on target from 34, while New Zealand hit the target with 2 of their 6 attempts. That helps explain why the game was never really in doubt from a playing perspective: the Belgian side piled up far more, and far better, chances.
The 2 yellow cards for New Zealand and none for Belgium also fit a pattern of emotional control and resource management in a match where the side that suffered most ended up with more fouls punished.
The standouts
- Kevin De Bruyne was the game’s best performer with 8.9. Beyond his rating, he also got on the scoresheet with a goal in the 66'.
- Leandro Trossard posted 8.3 and was decisive from the start: he opened the match with his goal in the 28' and struck again in the 50'.
- Elijah Just was New Zealand’s best player with 7.3, rewarded by his goal in the 84' in a match where his team barely managed to establish itself in attack.
Turning point
The breakaway started to take shape with Leandro Trossard’s goal in the 28', which gave Belgium an early lead and allowed them to control the match from the front. Later, Trossard’s second goal in the 50' widened the gap and made the game much more one-sided before Kevin De Bruyne added another in the 66'.
Closing note
The 5-1 scoreline fairly sums up what happened: Belgium were clearly superior in volume, efficiency and chance creation. New Zealand found a solitary reward in the 84', but the rest of the match was defined by a wide gap in shots, possession and attacking merit.
