Belgium thrash Andorra 6-0 in Group B

Posted Saturday, October 11, 2014 by skysports.com

Belgium's Divock Origi is on target in the 6-0 European qualifying Group B win over Andorra

Belgium got their European qualifying Group B campaign off and running with a 6-0 thrashing of Andorra at the Koning Boudewijn Stadion.

Kevin De Bruyne and Dries Mertens scored two goals each and Divock Origi and Nacer Chadli added the others as Belgium easily won their first competitive encounter since the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina.

The hosts rested Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard in the hope that his bruised toe would be fully recovered in time for Monday's qualifier against Bosnia & Herzegovina but they did field Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois - only five days after he suffered a head injury in a collision with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez.

Belgium, who went into the game unbeaten in their last nine competitive games at home, hit the frame of the goal with three efforts before finally opening the scoring with a 30th-minute De Bruyne penalty.

Liverpool striker Origi, who is on loan at Lille, played in De Bruyne (34) and he doubled the lead with a tidy finish before Tottenham foward Nacer Chadli made it 3-0 with a close range effort just before the interval.

Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany was forced off just after the break with a knee injury and a few minutes later the impressive Origi beat two defenders before lashing in a low shot from the edge of the penalty box.

Belgium were 5-0 and coasting when Mertens headed in from close range after the ball had bounced back to him off the Andorra bar.

The Napoli forward then made it 6-0 after cutting in from the right and hammering a right-foot strike past the hapless visiting goalkeeper to round off a solid night's work for the Group B favourites.