Belgium were eliminated from the World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Croatia on Thursday. To advance past the group stage, Roberto Martinez’s side needed a win against the 2018 World Cup finalists, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
Croatia dominated from the start and had a chance within the first 20 seconds, but Ivan Perisic blazed his shot over the crossbar. After 14 minutes, Belgium counterattacked quickly, but Dries Mertens was unable to find the target after a fine through ball from Kevin de Bruyne.
Croatia were awarded a penalty less than a minute later after Yannick Carrasco was adjudged to have brought down Andrej Kramaric inside the area. The VAR sent referee Anthony Taylor to the monitor as Luka Modric prepared to take the penalty kick, and the decision was overturned for an offside in the build-up. The remainder of the half was tense, but the game came to life after the break.
Thibaut Courtois of Belgium was called into action early on and stopped Croatia on three occasions. Romelu Lukaku came on in the second half and missed two big chances in quick succession.
Just after the hour mark, the Inter Milan striker was the first to react to a rebound, hitting the post from close range with the goalkeeper out of position. With the goal at his disposal, the striker headed another easy effort over the bar. It was not Lukaku’s night, as he went on to miss two more open goals as Croatia held off Belgium’s late attacks.
Croatia advances to the round of 16, but only in second place after Morocco won the group with a 2-1 victory over Canada. The African team needed a win or a draw in their final group game to advance to the knockout rounds and took the lead in the fourth minute when Hakim Ziyech capitalised on a poor clearance by goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
Ziyech effortlessly lobbed the ball over the stranded goalkeeper, cheered on by a boisterous crowd of Moroccan fans. Borjan had been put in an unenviable position by central defender Steven Vitoria, whose poor back pass forced the goalkeeper to sprint to the ball, allowing Youssef En-Nesyri to score.
En-Nesyri was a threat throughout the first half, doubling Morocco’s lead in the 23rd minute after latching onto a long ball from Achraf Hakimi and beating Borjan at the near post. En-Nesyri also volleyed into the Canadian net during first-half stoppage time, but the goal was ruled offside.
In the 40th minute, Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd scored Canada’s first goal of the World Cup by inadvertently flicking a cross by Sam Adekugbe past his own goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
