Belgium continued their impressive build-up to the FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Croatia, extending their unbeaten run to 12 matches under head coach Rudi Garcia.

The visitors created the first real chance of the contest through Jeremy Doku, who was deployed centrally amid ongoing concerns over Romelu Lukaku’s fitness. However, his effort failed to seriously test Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

Croatia responded with a promising opportunity of their own when Luka Modric released Petar Musa on a swift counterattack. The FC Dallas striker managed to get a shot away, but could only find the side netting as the angle narrowed.

Belgium looked threatening whenever Doku was involved and earned a dangerous free-kick in a promising position. Maxim De Cuyper stepped up ahead of Kevin De Bruyne, but the attempt failed to produce the desired outcome.

The breakthrough eventually arrived following a quickly taken De Bruyne free-kick. Doku once again played a key role, creating space down the flank before delivering a dangerous cross into the area. A defensive mix-up inside the Croatian box allowed the ball to fall kindly for Youri Tielemans, who calmly slotted home to give Belgium the lead.

Belgium’s advantage at the interval was deserved, though Thibaut Courtois was required to produce a superb save late in the first half to keep out his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric.

Neither manager made changes at the break, and the opening stages of the second half lacked intensity as both sides appeared to be conserving energy ahead of expected substitutions.

The game sprang back to life just after the hour mark when Croatia introduced five fresh players in one move. One of them, Ante Budimir, nearly made an immediate impact, seeing a powerful header crash against the crossbar.

Belgium responded in similar fashion moments later. Substitute Hans Vanaken came close to doubling the lead, but his header also struck the woodwork after a dangerous delivery into the box.

As the match drifted towards its conclusion, another player off the bench made the decisive contribution. Romelu Lukaku, making his first appearance for Belgium in a year, showcased his quality with a composed finish on the counterattack. The goal sealed a 2-0 victory and strengthened his claim for a starting place at the upcoming World Cup despite limited club action in recent months.

The result further underlined Belgium’s strong form heading into the tournament, while Croatia were left with lessons to take from a competitive encounter against one of Europe’s in-form sides.

The defeat marked an unwanted milestone for Zlatko Dalic’s men, who have now suffered back-to-back friendly defeats for the first time in 20 years. Prior to this recent dip, Croatia had enjoyed a nine-match unbeaten run that highlighted their consistency on the international stage.

Belgium will now turn their attention to a home friendly against Tunisia as they continue their preparations for the World Cup. Garcia’s side will then open their tournament campaign against Egypt, aiming to carry their impressive form onto the biggest stage.

Croatia, meanwhile, have one final warm-up fixture against Slovenia before heading to the United States for the World Cup. Their tournament journey begins with a heavyweight showdown against England, a clash that promises to be one of the standout matches of the opening round.