Belgium bounce back

BRUSSELS, June 09 (Reuters): Substitute Leandro Trossard scored twice as Belgium put their Netherlands nightmare behind them to thump Poland 6-1 in a pulsating Nations League A game at the King Baudouin Stadium on Wednesday.

Belgium, coming off a 4-1 home drubbing by their Dutch neighbours on Friday, fell behind when Robert Lewandowski netted just before the half-hour mark, but levelled before the break through Axel Witsel.

They dominated the second period and after goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Trossard (two), Leander Dendoncker and debutant Lois Openda moved second in Group Four after two rounds, above Poland in third.

Belgium visit bottom side Wales on Saturday while Poland travel to the Netherlands. Poland, who suffered their biggest defeat in a competitive fixture since 1965, host Belgium in their return fixture on Tuesday.

The home side never looked flustered after falling behind, having scored in every game since a 1-0 loss to France at the 2018 World Cup, a run of 46 consecutive matches.

They also had Eden Hazard running the show as he impressed in his 66 minutes on the pitch, showing flashes of quality after a season blighted by injury and poor form at Real Madrid.

Poland took the lead against the run of play as Lewandowski completed a typically composed finish for his 76th international goal.

But Belgium were level three minutes before halftime through Witsel, and then peppered the Poland goal with shots after that.

In another match, a second-string Netherlands beat Wales 2-1 away after a dramatic late finale in the Nations League on Wednesday, bringing the hosts back down to earth after they secured World Cup qualification at the weekend.

Wout Weghorst won the game for the Dutch, scoring with a header four minutes into stoppage time, straight after Wales looked to have snatched a late draw when Rhys Norrington-Davies netted two minutes into stoppage time.

Teun Koopmeiners opened the scoring five minutes into the second half to give the visitors the lead, after coach Louis van Gaal had changed his entire team from the side that opened their League A Group Four campaign with a 4-1 thumping of neighbours Belgium last Friday.

Wales also rested some of their senior squad members after winning a World Cup place for the first time in 64 years when they beat Ukraine 1-0 on Sunday, allowing fringe players to stake a claim for selection in the Qatar-bound team.