Fifa World Cup: Romelu Lukaku scores twice to fire Belgium past debutants Panama in Sochi
Dries Mertens opening volley an early contender for goal of the tournament while Manchester United man follows it up with a brace
A moment of inspiration from Dries Mertens set the Belgians on their way two minutes after the break, his volley breaking the deadlock after a rather flat first period.
Lukaku then converted assists from Kevin De Bruyne and captain Eden Hazard to secure victory in this group G clash, with the Central Americans succumbing to a defeat in their first-ever match at the finals.
Group rivals England will look to respond to Belgium’s win when they kick off their campaign against Tunisia but this was not entirely the statement of intent that Roberto Martinez’s side would have been hoping to make.
A victory will do for a team who are, on paper at least, good enough to go far in Russia, especially after heavyweights Germany, Brazil and Argentina all slipped up over the weekend.