World Cup

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World Cup Qualifying - Europe | Group Stage

Mar 25, 2017 at 7.45pm UK

Belgium
1-1
Greece

Lukaku (89')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Mitroglou (46')

Romelu Lukaku strikes late on to help Belgium draw with Greece

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 25 March 2017

Romelu Lukaku's late goal spares Belgium's blushes in a 1-1 draw with Greece in Saturday's World Cup Group H qualifier in Brussels.

A late Romelu Lukaku strike spared Belgium's blushes as they fought back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Greece in Saturday's World Cup Group H qualifier in Brussels.

The hosts, boasting a 100% record in the group going into the game, began brightly against the second-placed Greeks, with Marouane Fellaini heading just wide on the quarter-hour mark.

Greece, however, succeeded in frustrating Roberto Martinez's charges, who were lacklustre in the first half, with the exception of livewire Napoli winger Dries Mertens.

Michael Skibbe's side held firm come the half-time whistle, before going on to take the lead 20 seconds after the restart

Kostas Mitroglou made the most of a napping Belgium defence to latch on to a Panagiotis Tachtsidis flick-on before sweeping an emphatic half-volley across Thibaut Courtois and into the far corner of the net.

The visitors' evening became more difficult as they fell to 10 men in the 65th minute, Tachtsidis sent off after being shown a second yellow card for a late lunge on Toby Alderweireld.

Boosted by a numerical advantage, Belgium stepped up their attacks, showing more urgency and forcing a number of superb saves from Greece goalkeeper Stefanos Kapino.

As the clock ticked into injury time, the hosts finally succeeded in grabbing an equaliser, Lukaku making up for a tame 89 minutes by chesting Mertens's floated cross from the left, holding off Sokratis Papastathopoulos and rifling a volley on the turn beyond the grasp of Kapino.

Stoppage time brought more drama as the Ethniki stopper kept out another dangerous Lukaku effort, before the visitors lost another player when Georgios Tzavellas was shown a second yellow after a clash with the Toffees marksman.

No more goals were to come, however, as both sides maintained their unbeaten record with four wins and one draw, but Belgium stay on top of the group by virtue of a superior goal difference.