Croatia vs Belgium: Romelu Lukaku horror show sends golden generation home and spells end for Roberto Martínez

More exits are likely to follow, spelling the end of Belgium’s golden generation of players who never made it to a final. They were knocked out by the eventual winners in the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020 as well as last year’s Nations League. There are decisions to take for Jan Vertonghen and Dries Mertens, both 35, Toby Alderweireld and Axel Witsel, both 33, and Eden Hazard, 31.

Martinez is relentlessly positive and painted a picture of having already decided that this tournament would be his last when his contract ends next month. He doubles as the Belgium technical director. His six years in charge ended with him axing his captain, Hazard, days after accounts emerged of a farcical spat between the forward and Vertonghen over who was slower. The fans decided which side they were on and Hazard was booed after coming off the bench in the 87th minute.

Martinez has been eyeing a return to the Premier League as his next adventure. In the past couple of years, his name was put forward for vacancies at Everton, his former club, and Tottenham Hotspur.

“It has nothing to do with being eliminated at this stage, I took the decision before the World Cup,” Martinez, 49, said. “I work in the long term. I had opportunities to take jobs at clubs, I always wanted to be loyal, finish the job. The first two games, we were fearful, we listened to the noise on the outside and we were feeling the responsibility. We played thinking that we could lose the game and that we could be out and that’s what cost us progressing.

“If we had gone through, we would have seen the real Belgium and we could have been very competitive.”

Those first two games were an unconvincing 1-0 win over Canada followed by the fatal 2-0 defeat by Morocco. It meant that only a victory would do against Croatia, and Martinez picked the second-oldest side in World Cup history, with an average age of 31 years and 95 days.

Mertens has been a favourite for Martinez but after the forward wasted one golden chance, he was replaced at the break by Lukaku, whose impact was not as intended.

The striker walked off and punched the plastic at the side of the dugout, having wasted five close-range attempts – three of which were sitters. The worst of his efforts came in the last minute. Lukaku was in position to head Thorgan Hazard’s cross into a gaping goal but he inexplicably chested the ball into the arms of the goalkeeper from close in.

Lukaku had no excuse, even if he has only recently returned from thigh and hamstring problems that have plagued his return to Inter Milan, where he moved on loan after an unhappy season at Chelsea.

There was time to make amends two minutes later when he was poised to shoot but the ball was hooked off his toe from a few yards out.

Earlier, Lukaku had pounced on a rebound before shooting against a post after Yannick Carrasco’s shot was blocked, and he flicked wide when meeting Thomas Meunier’s attempted cross-shot. To complete the set he headed over an empty net, not knowing that it would have been ruled out as the ball went behind the byline.

Martinez handed Kevin De Bruyne the armband and looked to him for inspiration. De Bruyne drove from deep and released Mertens, who shot over, and later fed Carrasco, who should have done better. De Bruyne has not looked himself for the past month. He was poor when Manchester City lost to Brentford in the last game before the break, and admitted that he should not have been voted man of the match in the win over Canada. The Belgian media have highlighted him gesticulating at Martinez and being aloof during a pep talk.

Belgium began in jittery fashion, and Ivan Perisic fired wide after ten seconds as Croatia quickly escaped on their left. Martinez’s side were then handed a reprieve when a penalty was awarded by Anthony Taylor after Carrasco hung out a lazy leg to trip Andrej Kramaric, only for VAR to deem that Dejan Lovren was off-side and interfering with play at Modric’s initial free kick.

Croatia realised they needed to win to top the group after Morocco led. Marko Livaja headed over and Modric, twice, and Marcelo Brozovic forced saves from Thibaut Courtois. They had to settle for a draw, however, and went through in second place. For Belgium’s golden generation, this was simply a tournament too far.

-The Times

Originally published as Croatia vs Belgium: Romelu Lukaku horror show sends golden generation home and spells end for Roberto Martínez