Croatia 0 Belgium 0 LIVE SCORE: Lukaku STRIKES post and heads over as Belgium on cusp of World Cup exit | The Sun
BELGIUM go up against Croatia with the chance to secure World Cup last-16 survival and the clash is UNDERWAY.
Croatia were denied a penalty despite Anthony Taylor adjudging Andrej Kramaric to have been brought down before VAR intervened to determine that there was an offside in the build-up, with the score remaining level.
Romelu Lukaku is on for the Red Devils as they look to grab a winner, and he was involved instantly, heading the ball into the goalkeeper's arms.
The forward was close to netting the opener, striking the post with a right-footed shot as the ball fell to him inside the box.
- Kick-off time: 3pm GMT
- Live stream: BBC iPlayer
- TV channel: BBC ONE
- Group F: LIVE TABLE
- Croatia XI: Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Brzovic, Kovacic; Livaja, Kramaric, Perisic
- Belgium XI: Courtois; Meunier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Castagne, Dendoncker, Witsel, Carrasco; De Bruyne, Trossard; Mertens
- Preview: How Croatia and Belgium could qualify
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Stay up to date with all the latest from the Group F clash…
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
64, Here come the Croatia changes.
Petkovic and Pasalic are on for Livaja and Kramaric.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
62, Lukaku should score again!
De Bruyne floats the ball in from the by-line and Livakovic misses it, allowing Lukaku a free header at goal, but he sends it over the bar!
He can't believe it. On the replays it looked as though the ball ran out of play before De Bruyne got there.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
59, Lukaku hits the post!
No one inside here can believe he's missed it.
De Bruyne slides the ball into Carrasco who takes it in his stride before Juranovic gets his body in the way.
It rebounds to Lukaku who looks certain to score, but rattles the inside of the woodwork.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
57, Brozovic finds Sosa who gets his ball in wrong this time, sending it looping into the grateful arms of Courtois.
In the meantime, Thorgan Hazard is on for Leandro Trossard. His brother remains sat on the bench.
Modric has a shot saved by CourtoisCredit: Reuters - Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
54, Croatia are moving through the gears here as Courtois is forced into two saves in a matter of seconds.
Brozovic is first to have a go before Modric curls one towards the bottom corner, forcing the keeper to parry wide.
Belgium must weather this chequered storm.
- Joe Adams
Martin Lipton in Qatar
A word on the Lukaku change and the atmosphere from SunSport's very own…
For once, I called the change. Lukaku on at the break, for Mertens. Will he give Belgium some sort of focal point, even if he cannot be anywhere near fit?nnYou can still hear a pin drop most of the time.nnIt is really, really, really odd.
Martin LiptonSunSport
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
50, Well it's a different game already.
Lukaku holds the ball up and finds De Bruyne who shifts the ball on to his left, before firing over the upright.
Finally the players have woken up in Al Rayyan.
Credit: Reuters - Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
49, Courtois denies Kovacic!
The Chelsea man sets to curl one to the far corner, but instead whips it to the near post at the last second.
Courtois does well to tip it over the bar.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
48, Lukaku heads on goal!
An immediate impact from the 29-year-old who rose highest in the box to meet the delivery.
But he couldn't get the power, sending its straight into the arms of Livakovic.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
47, De Bruyne immediately combining with Lukaku.
The substitute peels wide and holds off Gvardiol well before taking his position in the box.
De Bruyne curls it into the area but Croatia deal with it.
- Joe Adams
Second half – Croatia 0-0 Belgium
We're back underway and there is one big change to report.
Romelu Lukaku is on for Mertens. He has three goals in his last two games against Croatia.
- Joe Adams
Half-time stats
There has been little to separate the sides so far, and even less to celebrate.
Gary Lineker and co are doing everything they can to kill time in the studio.
Let's hope for better in the second half.
- Joe Adams
Martin Lipton reports from Al Rayyan
SunSport's Martin Lipton has his say at the break.
Needs a goal. As they say.
Although, technically, Croatia don’t. At least if they just want to go through rather than win the group.
By the way, if Croatia score one and Morocco get another, they will be level on points – seven – goal difference and goals scored.
You know what that would mean – yellow card count to win the group.
At half-time, that’s….2-2. Dead level. It would mean lots being drawn back at the Main Media Centre two stops back on the Metro later tonight.
Martin LiptonSunSport
- Joe Adams
Neil Custis in Qatar
Here is Neil Custis' half-time report from the stadium:
ALF-TIME AT The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and the way Belgium are playing you would not put much money on them progressing with the win they need.
By the break their hopes of making it into the last 16 had only been kept alive by a VAR reversal as Luka Modric prepared to put Croatia ahead from the penalty spot on 15 minutes.
Andrej Kramaric reached for a loose ball in the box and was felled by Yannick Carrasco.
No complaints as English referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot and everyone was lined up and ready for Modric to take the penalty.
Then Taylor was called to the off pitch to screen to review the situation and he agreed that Dejan Lovren was just offside when the first ball was played into the area and had interfered with play.
A let off for Belgium but they had barely threatened at the other end.
They looked happy to sit deep and play on the break.
To be fair that nearly worked shortly before the penalty award when Kevin de Bruyne charged half the length of the field and laid the ball off to Dries Mertens but his finish was woeful curling a shot way over the bar.
Before that when Mertens has found Carrasco at the far post Josip Juranovic got back well to block his shot.
Indeed for a game with so much on it, this was amazingly flat and subdued.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said his side would not play for the draw they needed but with Belgium hardly pushing the pace they seemed happy with the situation as it stood.
Neil CustisSunSport
- Joe Adams
HALF-TIME – Croatia 0-0 Belgium
The ball drops to Juranovic on the edge of the area, and his sliced effort signals the end of a half that won't live long in the memory.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
There will be four added minutes here.
Over in the other game, Morocco are 2-1 up and currently top of group F.
As it stands, Belgium are heading home.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
44, De Bruyne digs out a great first time cross into the six-yard box.
Livakovic was out quickly to claim it, but Mertens really had to gamble at the near post.
You sense Lukaku would have been licking his lips at that opportunity.
Sosa then blazes his effort into the stands. A lack of composure from the full-back.
Luka Modric passes the ball through the legs of Leandro TrossardCredit: Getty - Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
41, Belgium use the Mexican wave as encouragement and pile forward with some urgency.
Dendoncker makes a good run down the right and slides a dangerous ball across the face of goal.
No one in red could get on the end of it and Croatia escape.
- Joe Adams
Martin Lipton in Al Rayyan
SunSport's Martin Lipton on the atmosphere inside the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
There is a strange mood inside the stadium.
Subdued, uncertain, nervous.
Croatia still appear the more composed team, although the statistics suggest it’s far more even a contest than it feels.
And, of course, if you have De Bruyne, you will always have hope.
At some point, surely, Martinez will have to think about Lukaku, no matter how fit he really is.
Martin LiptonSunSport
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
36, Trossard picks up possession on the edge of the area. He holds on to it for too long and can't get the pass away to De Bruyne.
Perisic had tracked back brilliantly to intercept.
Credit: Getty - Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
35, Witsel drives forward and just kept going. They eventually work it wide to Castagne who crosses into Trossard.
It's a mismatch against Lovren and the Croats clear it to safety.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
32, Perisic checks inside and finds Brozovic who's shot is deflected.
It comes out to Sosa who wastes no time curling in a decent cross. Livaja meets it but it's over the bar.
Courtois was stood rooted.
Ivan Perisic jostles with with Toby AlderweireldCredit: Getty - Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
28, All of Croatia's good work is down their wings.
Kramaric and Perisic are hugging the touchline, pulling out Belgium's wing-backs so wide that Modric has acres of room in the middle.
Still goalless as we approach the half hour mark.
- Joe Adams
Croatia 0-0 Belgium
25, Witsel has a crack from distance, but it's not struck with any real venom and Livakovic can claim it eventually.
Croatia are able to move defence into attack in a heartbeat and they have a corner now.
The Croatia players argue with Anthony Taylor after his decision to rule out the penaltyCredit: AP - Joe Adams
Martin Lipton on the penalty
Or offside, I should say.
Croatia can’t believe it. Belgium can’t believe their luck.
Anthony Taylor rightly points to the spot when Carrasco’s stupid stray boot brings Kramaric down.
But the men in the VAR booth intervene.
The micrometers and computer gadgets say Lovren was a matter of millimetres offside when he forced the panicky header, so it was not a “deliberate play”.
And the ball then fell to Kramaric, who was even further advanced and surely would have called as well as he retreated from a “Griezmann” type position to take advantage of the error.
Disbelief from the Balkan sans when they see the 3D illustration. But a correct call.
Martin LiptonSunSport
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