End clap for Belgium.
Unable to take more than one point against a devious Croatia, who resisted to hold a goalless draw (0-0), despite having shown a much better face than against Morocco, Belgium left this Cup prematurely. world.
It had to be a victory, of course.
To forget the setback against Morocco, and to qualify for the knockout stage.
The Belgians never seemed able to take this ascendancy against the finalists of the 2018 World Cup. The Red Devils could also have complicated the task very early in the first period.
A dry shot from Perišić grazed Courtois' cage in the 10th second of play, while Croatia saw a penalty invalidated by the VAR for... an offside which was played a few centimeters from the shoulder (15th ).
The VAR view of the offside call ruled against Croatia ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/84KOA9CmxO
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 1, 2022
Lukaku made an impact, but above all missed the inevitable
For the rest, Belgium can thank Courtois that the note was not saltier.
Without Lukaku or the Hazard brothers at kick-off, the Red Devils are not very dangerous and the few clear chances are Croatian.
Returning from the locker room, Kovacic (50th), Brozović (54th) and Modrić (54th, 67th) warmed up the gloves of the Belgian goalkeeper.
Entering the game at the break, Lukaku warmed up the post of Livaković (61st) on the biggest Belgian opportunity, after a good incursion by Carrasco into the Croatian defense, before missing the inevitable at the very end of the match, alone in front of the empty goal (90th).
After their debacle against Morocco (0-2), winner of Canada and which therefore won first place in group F, the Belgians had prepared this last match in an explosive, psychodramatic atmosphere, which had led to an update straight from Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois at a press conference this Wednesday.
The last burst will therefore, ultimately, not take place.
Eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Euro by Italy, Belgium sinks a little more with this surprise elimination in the first round of the World Cup, having therefore managed to beat, laboriously, Canada.
More than a poor performance, this elimination marks the end of an era for what has long been referred to as the "golden generation" of the Kingdom.
Apart from Courtois and De Bruyne, the heroes of 2018 that were Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Yannick Carrasco or the Vertonghen-Alderweireld hinge have all shown their incompressible limits, not inconsistent with the recent evolution of their respective careers.
If the Croatian vice-world champions save the honor after an unconvincing group stage, for the Belgians, it is time to turn a page.