Belgium beats Croatia en route to the World Cup

Belgium began their pre-World Cup preparations with a solid 2-0 victory over Croatia in Rijeka. The friendly match saw Youri Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku find the back of the net, giving Belgium a morale boost as they head into the tournament.

Belgium, once a dominant force known for its 'golden generation,' is now in a phase of transition. While still possessing significant talent, the team's overall impact has shifted from previous editions. In this encounter, Belgium appeared more incisive, testing the Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic multiple times before breaking the deadlock.

Tielemans opened the scoring in the 38th minute after a play involving Jeremy Doku's run and a low cross. The rebound fell to the Manchester City midfielder, who converted with a first-time shot. Lukaku sealed the victory in second-half stoppage time with a powerful counter-attack finish, marking his return to the national team after a year.

In other friendly action, Morocco, a semifinalist in the last World Cup, demonstrated their strength with a commanding 4-0 win against Madagascar. Ismael Saibari scored twice, with Soufiane Rahimi and Ayoub El Kaabi adding to the tally. Notably, Achraf Hakimi, fresh off his Champions League win with PSG, did not participate in the match. The day also featured a 1-1 draw between Georgia and Romania, with Wales set to play Ghana.

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THE OLD AND RELIABLE LUKAKU! The Belgian tank made a tremendous run and an even better finish to score a great goal and the final 2-0 for Belgium in a friendly against Croatia.