Van Bommel was impressed by De Bruyne's display, which earned him a starting spot and an hour of playing time. The coach compared De Bruyne's performance favourably to his showing at the World Cup, stating that he played better against Italy. Van Bommel attributed De Bruyne's strong performance to his own abilities, saying "I found Kevin indeed stronger than on the World Cup." The coach also noted that De Bruyne's influence is linked to the team's overall performance, saying "When everyone knows their role and does what is asked of them, we have a player like Kevin who can make the difference." Van Bommel went on to praise De Bruyne as the best player in Belgian football history, saying "He is still one of the best players of this moment. For me, he is the best player in the history of Belgian football."