The truth is Romelu Lukaku probably should have departed the pitch cradling the match ball but the painful reality is the striker left empty-handed, his hat-trick of second-half misses condemning Belgium to a damning and premature World Cup exit. The worst one of all came deep into stoppage time. Thierry Henry covered his eyes with his top. Thomas Meunier chucked a water bottle into the ground. Yannick Carrasco threw a towel over his face. At the final whistle Lukaku punched the perspex substitutes’ bench in frustration before being consoled by Youri Tielemans.
Toby Alderweireld, one of those who surely won’t return to this stage, lay on the turf. A Belgium supporter in the stands dressed as a bright yellow cone of chips stood hands in pockets with a face like thunder. Some of their fans jeered the arrival of Eden Hazard, brought on for the final seven minutes. For Belgium’s golden generation, this last hurrah fell painfully flat. Croatia, runners-up four years ago, go through to play the winners of Group E in the last 16, most likely Spain.
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Photograph: Tom Jenkins
That a Mexican wave rippled around this ground on 41 minutes as Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen tossed the ball from side to side spoke volumes of the entertainment on offer in a first half where the only drama was a VAR review that led to the referee, Anthony Taylor, revoking the award of a Croatia penalty. Vertonghen headed a free-kick clear from the edge of the six-yard box but when Carrasco failed to trap the ball he proceeded to foul Andrej Kramaric, prompting Taylor to point to the spot. Luka Modric grabbed the ball and Croatia’s substitutes lined the edge of the technical area in anticipation – more likely expectation – but then Taylor was encouraged to visit the pitchside VAR monitor, which detailed Dejan Lovren was offside when challenging Vertonghen inside the box. The big screens showing replays emphasised the tightness of the call.
At 35 Vertonghen was the oldest player in a starting lineup with the eldest average age at a World Cup since Australia’s against Germany in 2010. Roberto Martínez’s big call was to leave Eden Hazard on the bench until the 87th minute, with the Real Madrid forward among four players dropped after defeat to Morocco. Dries Mertens and Leandro Trossard made their first starts of the tournament. The Brighton forward Trossard was bright but Mertens was withdrawn in favour of Lukaku at the break. At almost 27 the Leicester City full-back Timothy Castagne was the puppy of the side.
Belgium made a shaky start – Ivan Perisic curled a shot wide inside 11 seconds after being released by Modric and a minute later Leander Dendoncker was chasing a red-and-white chequered Croatia shirt facing his own goal – and while they roused Martínez changed personnel and system at half-time, the introduction of Lukaku the trigger for a switch to a 3-4-3. Lukaku’s presence gave Croatia something to think about and the defender Josko Gvardiol panicked and stuck out his left leg at the front post to prevent Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from reaching the lurking Lukaku. A minute later Lukaku sent a tame header at the Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from a De Bruyne cross.
But as this game, which burst into life in the second half, ticked towards the hour mark Belgium stitched together a slick move, from which they will wonder how they did not prosper. Particularly Lukaku. De Bruyne angled a wonderful pass, as if by subterfuge, into Carrasco, whose fine first touch allowed him to tip-toe between two Croatia defenders and mosey towards goal. Carrasco seemed to do everything right but his shot was blocked by the boot of the outstretched Josip Juranovic, who darted in front of Livakovic in desperation. The ball then spiralled invitingly across the box for Lukaku but he could only send a rasping strike against Livakovic’s left post. The maddening thing for Lukaku and Belgium was that worse was still to come.
