After finishing the World Cup group phase as the top-scoring team, Belgium has every right to be confident, but forward Dries Mertens said Saturday the Red Devils will approach Japan with the appropriate respect.
Belgium's nine goals — scored in big wins over Panama and Tunisia, and a 1-0 victory over England in its final preliminary match — saw it top Group G and set up a meeting with Japan, which squeaked into the round of 16 thanks to FIFA's fair-play rules.
Japan may prove an easy kill on Monday in the southwestern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, but Mertens pointed to the Samurai Blue's performance against Colombia as a reason to be wary.