Belgium beat Poland 6-1 in their Nations League match in Brussels on Wednesday.
Belgium lost their opening game to neighboring Netherlands, but responded with an increasingly impressive performance and finished the game with five goals in just 30 minutes.
“It brings that extra feeling when you lose against your rivals, so it was definitely a motivator tonight,” said Belgian coach Roberto Martinez.
“Against the Netherlands we were passive, waiting, vulnerable. Now we were a team rather than individuals.”
Belgium suffered another early blow on Wednesday as visitors took the lead after 28 minutes as star striker Robert Lewandowski scored his 22nd goal for club and country in 2022.
The Bayern Munich attacker controlled a pass from Piotr Zielinski in mid-air and then pushed it ahead of on-rushing Simon Mignolet from outside his left boot.
The hosts equalized three minutes before half time.
Kevin De Bruyne cuts through the Polish defense. After his drive was intercepted, Timothy Castane swung the ball back to Axel Witsel, who swung a drive inside the post.
In retaliation, Belgium took the lead after 59 minutes. Captain Eden Hazard found De Bruyne free in the box and shot Bartlomysz Dragowski behind.
Hazard, who struggled with injury at Real Madrid this season and was an unused substitute in the Champions League final, was ruled out after 66 minutes.
“I am extremely happy that I can be important to the team, especially after my season,” he said.
Leandro Trossard replaced Hazard and scored twice in seven minutes.
Defender Leander Dandonkar then scored his first international goal from long range.
Lois Openda, who came off the bench to make his international debut with six minutes to spare, scored in extra time.
“It was a match that would give us a lot to think about, a lot of question marks in different parts of our game plan and overall strategy, but also a lesson on how to play against such teams,” Liwandowski said.
Belgium, who lost their Group 4 opener to the Netherlands, sit in second place behind their neighbors and on goal difference ahead of Poland.
“No one should be worried about the future of Belgian football. We have immense talent but we have to be patient,” said Martinez. “After all we have the structure. The rest will follow, but the talent is definitely there. ,
In World Cup in Qatar in November, Belgium are placed in a group with Canada, Morocco and 2018 final losers Croatia. Poland faces Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina.
“I told the players that they should use it as a reminder of how opponents play at the highest level in the world,” said Poland coach Czesaw Michniewicz.
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