What we learned from Friday's World Cup qualifiers
Fearsome Lukaku grows in stature in Belgium success

By Joe Wright
Belgium secured a place in their first World Cup finals since 2002 with a 2-1 win over Croatia on Friday, with man-of-the-moment Romelu Lukaku once more delivering the kind of display to leave Chelsea fans casting envious glances in his direction.
The on-loan Everton man broke the deadlock early in the first half when Steven Defour collected a loose pass and slipped Lukaku in behind the defence, where he calmly rounded Stipe Pletikosa before tapping home.
The 20-year-old added his second shortly before the break, out-muscling and out-sprinting the defence with such prowess that he earned a slice of luck when Pletikosa's block rebounded back into his path to allow the simplest of finishes.
Marc Wilmots' side have long been earmarked as a dark horse in international football - despite failing to qualify for a major tournament in over a decade - but Friday's gritty showing proved they deserve a place in Brazil next summer. While they remain weak in the full-back positions and struggled with the absence of Vincent Kompany at times, the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel, Defour and Eden Hazard all performed well behind the indomitable Lukaku.
Although they should not be considered true contenders for the top prize next summer, a Lukaku-led Belgium will likely cause a fair few sleepless nights for fellow qualified sides before the group stage draw is made on December 6.
Belgium secured a place in their first World Cup finals since 2002 with a 2-1 win over Croatia on Friday, with man-of-the-moment Romelu Lukaku once more delivering the kind of display to leave Chelsea fans casting envious glances in his direction.
The on-loan Everton man broke the deadlock early in the first half when Steven Defour collected a loose pass and slipped Lukaku in behind the defence, where he calmly rounded Stipe Pletikosa before tapping home.
The 20-year-old added his second shortly before the break, out-muscling and out-sprinting the defence with such prowess that he earned a slice of luck when Pletikosa's block rebounded back into his path to allow the simplest of finishes.
Marc Wilmots' side have long been earmarked as a dark horse in international football - despite failing to qualify for a major tournament in over a decade - but Friday's gritty showing proved they deserve a place in Brazil next summer. While they remain weak in the full-back positions and struggled with the absence of Vincent Kompany at times, the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel, Defour and Eden Hazard all performed well behind the indomitable Lukaku.
Although they should not be considered true contenders for the top prize next summer, a Lukaku-led Belgium will likely cause a fair few sleepless nights for fellow qualified sides before the group stage draw is made on December 6.
Saturday, October 12, 2013 16:00
What we learned from Friday's World Cup qualifiers
What we learned from Friday's World Cup qualifiers
Goal examines the crucial talking points from the penultimate round of European qualifying matches, as record-breaking goal tallies, delightful debuts and catastrophic mistakes mean the fight to reach Brazil will go right down to the wire
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Record-breaking Van Persie silences Dutch critics
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Fearsome Lukaku grows in stature in Belgium success
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Italy squad not strong enough
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Ronaldo & Co. reminded football is a low-scoring game
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Negredo stakes claim to be Spain's No.9
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Townsend tandem offers bright England glimpse
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Low's doubters should be careful what they wish for
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