DOHA: Romelu Lukaku missed a string of late chances as Belgium crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage after a 0-0 draw with Croatia on Thursday which sent the 2018 runners-up into the knockout phase.
Croatia had a penalty award controversially canceled by VAR early in a largely uneventful first half.
The introduction of Lukaku at the interval changed the game, but he was guilty of three dreadful misses as Zlatko Dalic’s side rode their luck to hold on.
Croatia progressed as runners-up in Group F behind winners Morocco who beat Canada 2-1 to also qualify for the last 16.
Belgium, the world’s second-ranked side, saw their run of reaching at least the quarter-finals at four straight major tournaments come to an abrupt end.
Roberto Martinez’s men managed just one goal in the tournament in a fortunate opening 1-0 win over Canada.
Martinez dropped captain Eden Hazard to the bench as one of four changes which also saw Leandro Trossard and Dries Mertens start for the first time in Qatar.
The build-up to the match had been dominated by rumors of an altercation between senior Belgian players, involving Eden Hazard, which Martinez described as “fake news.”
Croatia almost took the lead inside the first 10 seconds, as the ball was played forward to Ivan Perisic after kick-off and the Tottenham man cut inside and drilled a shot just wide of the far post.
The likelihood of Belgium needing to win was increased when Morocco scored an early goal across Doha. Yannick Carrasco had a chance to open the scoring but his shot was blocked.
Mertens curled over after a trademark Kevin De Bruyne run and pass, before Croatia were awarded a penalty seconds later when Carrasco tripped Andrej Kramaric in the box.
But the decision was overturned following a lengthy VAR check which decided that a tiny fraction of Dejan Lovren’s shoulder was offside.
Desperate for a goal after a first half in which neither side mustered a shot on target, Martinez sent on Lukaku, Belgium’s record scorer, for Mertens at half-time.
They immediately carried more threat, with Lukaku, who struggled with injury in the build-up to the tournament, heading straight at Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Thibaut Courtois was then called into action for the first time, stretching to tip over Mateo Kovacic’s curling effort as the game opened up.
That also suited the Croatian attackers though and Courtois had to twice get down to keep out low shots from Marcelo Brozovic and Luka Modric.
Belgium should have taken the lead on the hour mark.
Carrasco almost bundled the ball in but was denied by Livakovic, before Lukaku contrived to hit the post with the goal gaping on the rebound.
Lukaku was guilty of an even worse miss two minutes later, heading over an empty net from six yards out, although replays suggested the ball may have been out of play when De Bruyne crossed it in.
Martinez also threw on Thorgan Hazard, Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku as Belgium searched for that all important goal.
Lukaku saw another chance come and go in the 87th minute, deflecting the ball wide from Thomas Meunier’s volley.
The striker, on loan at Inter Milan from Chelsea, still had another golden opportunity to be the hero, but he opted to chest the ball toward the open net from three yards out and directed it into the arms of Livakovic.
Belgium crash out of World Cup after Croatia draw
https://arab.news/25wz9
Belgium crash out of World Cup after Croatia draw
- Croatia had a penalty award controversially cancelled by VAR early in a largely uneventful first half
- Belgium saw their run of reaching at least the quarter-finals at four straight major tournaments come to an abrupt end
Al-Qadsiah hand Al-Ittihad second consecutive defeat as Al-Hilal extend lead at SPL summit
- Tense encounter at Prince Mohammed bin Fahad Stadium in Dammam ends in 2-1 victory for Al-Qadsiah
- Al-Hilal restore seven-point lead at the top of the table after 3-1 victory over Al-Fayha
DAMMAM: Al-Qadsiah defeated Al-Ittihad 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League Matchday 17's headline fixture, as Julián Quiñones netted twice to cancel out Karim Benzema's opener.
The battle of the tacticians was on full display between Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ittihad. Brendan Rodgers set his side up in a 4-3-2-1 defensively, with Christopher Bonsu Baah, Musab Al-Juwayr and Quiñones given the freedom to drift between the lines.
In possession, the shape transformed. While Baah operated a left-sided central midfielder in the trio, he frequently stretched the pitch down the left as Al-Juwayr, Quiñones and Nahitan Nández threatened Al-Ittihad between the lines.
Meanwhile, Sérgio Conceição set up his side quite differently. Reeling from a home defeat to Al-Ettifaq in their previous outing, Al-Ittihad emerged in a 3-4-2-1, with Moussa Diaby and the returning Houssem Aouar operating behind Benzema.
Aouar — absent since representing Algeria at AFCON — was inches away from netting on his return to the starting XI. In the 17th minute, he snuck in behind the defence to meet a floated cross from Danilo Pereira, only for his header to strike the post.
Nine minutes later, Al-Ittihad took the lead. After a VAR review, the referee deemed Gaston Alvarez’s challenge on Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti to be a penalty, and Benzema powered his effort down the middle to open the scoring.
Al-Qadsiah did not back down. Baah and Al-Juwayr combined down the left before the former’s low cross found Quiñones in the six-yard box, allowing him to equalise.
Al-Ittihad continued to struggle down that flank, and in the 59th minute, Mohammed Abou Al-Shamat dribbled past their midfield before threading a through ball to Quiñones who turned and fired Al-Qadsiah into the lead.
VAR was called into action once in the 64th minute for a potential Al-Ittihad penalty. Aouar's cross struck Jehad Thekri’s knee before bouncing up towards his hand, but the referee waved play on.
It wasn't Al-Ittihad’s best day, as they failed to find an equaliser despite their late pressure and slipped to sixth place on 27 points, nine behind Al-Qadsiah, who leap into fourth.
In Riyadh, Al-Hilal cruised to victory to extend their lead at the top of the table in a 4-1 victory over Al-Fayha. The visitors took the lead after a mistake from Al-Hilal goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Rubaie was pounced on by Fashion Sakala in the 14th minute.
The hosts responded emphatically before the break. Sergej Milinković-Savić scored a spectacular bicycle kick reminiscent of Ayoub El-Kaabi in the 37th minute, before Orlando Mosquera bundled the ball into his own net on the stroke of half-time.
Rúben Neves’ range of passing was once again a deciding factor for Al-Hilal. In the 61st minute, he delivered a floating cross towards Mohammed Kanno, who rose highest to head in the third. Neves was involved again for the fourth, as his free-kick found Marcos Leonardo to seal a commanding victory.
Elsewhere, Al-Taawoun slipped out of the top four after being held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Hazem in Qassim. Roger Martínez climbed to the top two in the goalscoring charts, with his brace rescuing a point for Al-Taawoun and taking his tally to 14 goals.
The Saudi Pro League returns for Matchday 18 on Saturday, with Al-Khaleej vs. Al-Shabab kicking off at 4:25pm, followed by Al-Kholood vs. Al-Ettifaq at 6:20pm before NEOM host Al-Ahli at 8:30pm.
