Press "Enter" to skip to content

FIFA World Cup 2018 live updates: Belgium vs Panama, Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Moscow: The second match scheduled for the mega football tournament – FIFA World Cup 2018 – is between Belgium and Panama (Group G) at Fisht Stadium, Sochi. Roberto Martinez can’t wait to lead an outstanding Belgium side into the World Cup as they prepare to take on Panama in their opening game on Monday.

A team which sits third in the FIFA rankings and which boasts what is frequently labelled a golden generation featuring the likes of Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne have come to Russia with a considerable weight of expectation on their shoulders.

They are strongly fancied to progress to the knockout phase as winners of Group G, despite being drawn alongside England, and so it would be a major upset if they slipped up in Sochi against a side making their World Cup debut.

Monday will see a total of six teams squaring off with each other with each of them confident of beating their opponent on the ground.

Here are the live updates from the match:

Kick-off

Lineups:

Belgium XI: Courtois, Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen, Meunier, Witsel, De Bruyne, Carrasco, Mertens, Hazard, Lukaku

Panama XI: Penedo, Román, Escobar, Davis, Murillo, Gómez, Godoy, Cooper, Bárcenas, Rodríguez, Blas Pérez

Belgium full squad:

Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg/GER), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea/ENG), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool/ENG)

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham/ENG), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic/SCO), Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles/USA – to replace Kompany if unfit), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Vincent Kompany 

(Manchester City/ENG), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona/ESP), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham/ENG)

Midfielders: Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yinfang/CHN), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion/ENG), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/ENG), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham/ENG), Marouane Fellaini 

(Manchester United/ENG), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad/ESP), Youri Tielemans (Monaco/FRA), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian/CHN), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA)

Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Eden Hazard (Chelsea/ENG), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia M’gladbach/GER), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United/ENG), Dries Mertens 

(Naples/ITA).

Panama full squad:

Goalkeepers: Jose Calderon (Chorrillo FC), Jaime Penedo (Dinamo Bucharest), Alex Rodriguez (San Francisco FC).

Defenders: Felipe Baloy (CSD Municipal), Harold Cummings (San Jose Earthquakes), Eric Davis (DAC Dunajska Streda), Fidel Escobar (New York Red Bulls), Adolfo Machado (Houston Dynamo), 

Michael Murillo (New York Red Bulls), Luis Ovalle (CD Olimpia), Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders).

Midfielders: Edgar Barcenas (Cafetaleros de Tapachula), Armando Cooper (Club Universidad de Chile), Anibal Godoy (San Jose Earthquakes), Gabriel Gómez (Bucaramanga), Valentin Pimentel (Plaza 

Amador), Alberto Quintero (Universitario de Lima), Jose Luis Rodriguez (KAA Gent).

Forwards: Abdiel Arroyo (LD Alajuelense), Ismael Diaz (Deportivo La Coruna), Blas Perez (CSD Municipal), Luis Tejada (Sports Boys), Gabriel Torres (CD Huachipato).

Source: Zee News