KEIR RADNEDGE in DOHA —– Belgium’s ‘golden generation’, former long-time leaders of the FIFA World Ranking, reached a tarnished end to their era in stumbling out of the World Cup at the group stage.

The Red Devils, third in Russia four years ago with much the same team core, were held 0-0 by Croatia in the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium after an increasingly chaotic second half. Striker Romelu Lukaku had a nightmare match, emerging as a second-half substitute and seeing a host of chances escape him.

Croatia, World Cup runners-up in Russia, had attacking issues of their own but also wielded more control and power in midfield through the outstanding Luka Modric and tireless Mateo Kovacic.

Belgium had to win to stay in the tournament. Their failure to do so prompted manager Roberto Martinez to announce his resignation after the match.

Croatia were fastest out of the starting blocks with Ivan Perisic raiding deep into Belgian territory and rocketing a shot narrowly wide of Thibaut Courtois’s left-hand post after only 13 seconds. It would have been the fastest finals goal since Hakan Sukur’s 11-second strike for Turkey in 2002.

Belgium weathered the initial storm and should have taken the lead in the 13th minute. The increasingly influential Kevin de Bruyne released Dries Mertens on the left but the Galatasaray winger shot over the bar.

Penalty confusion

Croatia then thought they were about to take the lead in the 15th minute after being awarded a penalty for Carrasco’s wild kick at Marko Levaja in a melee after a free kick.

Captain Modric was poised to take the spotkick when referee Anthony Taylor was advised by VAR to consult the pitchside monitor. Taylor then cancelled the penalty, to Croat anger, and awarded Belgium a free kick for offside in the build-up.

Belgium brought on Lukaku for the second half instead of Dries Mertens, switched to 4-2-3-1 and immediately looked better balanced. Kevin de Bruyne escaped on the right and chipped to the far post where Lukaka headed down into the hands of perfectly-placed keeper Dominik Livakovic.

Croatia also raised their game. Kovacic saw a drive tipped over the bar by Courtois who then made excellent saves in quick succession from Kovacic again and Modric. Belgium ran down to the Croatia goalmouth and Lukaku saw his thunderous shot hit the inside of one post and fly across the face of the goal.

Courtois brilliance

The duel continued to seesaw from end to end. Modric drew an even better save out of Courtois, his Real Madrid club colleague, and then it was Lukaku’s turn again at the other end.

Meunier stabbed the ball into the goal area where Lukaku flicked it wide then a Thorgan Hazard cross hit Lukaku’s chest at the far post and dropped again into the hands of Livakovic. Josko Gvardiol cleared desperately as Lukaku stretched for yet another cross in stoppage time – and Croatia had survived.

Belgium’s campaign, a disappointment from the start with ‘only’ a 1-0 win over Canada and then a 2-0 defeat by Morocco, had come up short. Croatia celebrated a place in the knockout stage for third time in 24 years.

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