Belgium out of WC, Croatia advance after draw

Belgium were knocked retired of the World Cup pursuing a mediocre 0-0 gully against Croatia connected Thursday.

Roberto Martinez's broadside needed a triumph against the 2018 World Cup finalists to advancement past the radical stage, but they were incapable to find the backmost of the net.

- Stream connected ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, much (U.S.)

Captain Eden Hazard was dropped for the commencement of the match, and Romelu Lukaku came connected to miss 4 large chances arsenic Belgium's World Cup travel came to disappointing end.

Croatia beforehand into the circular of 16 but suffice successful 2nd spot aft Morocco finished apical of the radical with a 2-1 triumph implicit Canada.

Croatia dominated from the archetypal whistle and had a accidental wrong the opening 20 seconds but Ivan Perisic blazed his changeable implicit the bar.

Belgium responded with a swift counterattack aft 14 minutes but Dries Mertens was incapable to find the people aft a good done shot from Kevin de Bruyne.

Less than a infinitesimal later, Croatia were awarded a punishment erstwhile Yannick Carrasco was adjudged to person brought down Andrej Kramaric wrong the area.

With Luka Modric preparing to instrumentality the spot-kick, referee Anthony Taylor was sent to the show by the VAR, and the determination was overturned for an offside successful the buildup.

The remainder of the fractional turned retired to beryllium a tense affair, but the crippled came to beingness aft the break.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was called into enactment aboriginal connected and prevented Croatia connected 3 abstracted occasions.

Lukaku was brought connected successful the 2nd half, and the Inter Milan striker missed 2 large chances successful speedy succession.

Just aft the hr mark, Lukaku reacted archetypal to a rebound and managed to onslaught the station from adjacent scope with the goalkeeper retired of position.

The striker past headed different casual effort implicit the barroom with the extremity astatine his mercy.

It was not Lukaku's nighttime -- the striker went connected to miss different 2 unfastened goals arsenic Croatia survived Belgium's precocious attacks.