Five-star Belgium thrash Tunisia in pre-World Cup friendly in Brussels

Looking to build confidence in front of their supporters, Belgium showed great intent from the outset and duly deserved their opener when Leandro Trossard found the net just shy of the half-hour mark.

Manchester City star Jeremy Doku was the creator, showcasing his slick footwork to move into the box and skip past Adem Arous before teeing up the Arsenal man for the simplest of finishes.

Just moments after Trossard’s 12th international goal, Kevin De Bruyne forced Mouhib Chamakh into a strong stop, before whipping in an inviting delivery that deserved a better finish than Brandon Mechele’s wayward header.

While the hosts took a slender lead into the break, the half-time interval only delayed the inevitable second goal that arrived from Charles De Ketelaere’s well-directed header within eight minutes of the restart.

The 25-year-old towered above his marker to meet Youri Tielemans’s floated delivery, heading it beyond the unmoved Chamakh for his fourth goal in his last five international appearances.

Yet with the advantage of a two-goal cushion, Rudi Garcia’s charges briefly took their foot off the gas as Elias Achouri rattled the frame of the goal.

However, any faint hopes of a Tunisian fightback were quashed when Ismael Gharbi received a second yellow for an ill-advised sliding challenge that was deemed too rash for the referee’s liking.

The Red Devils made full use of the numerical advantage, with De Bruyne firing home a precise effort from the edge of the box before two substitutes came to the fore in the latter stages.

Dodi Lukebakio scrambled the ball in from close range, and Nicolas Raskin stroked a low shot into the bottom corner after latching onto a loose ball, ensuring the team will be full of confidence ahead of their WC clash against Egypt on June 15th.

Meanwhile, Sabri Lamouchi’s side will be hoping for better fortunes in their tournament opener against Sweden.