Belgium 2-0 England: Meunier & Hazard goals see Red Devils get 3rd place finish at WC

England's encouraging World Cup performance ended with successive defeats as Belgium claimed third spot in Russia.

Match Events

4' GOAL! Belgium 1-0 England (Meunier)

Belgium make a flying start to the game! England leave too much room for Chadli on the left side, who whips a low cross into the middle where Meunier pokes home.

A slick and swift Belgium move, with De Bruyne, Lukaku and Hazard all involved in the build-up before Chadli's killer ball provided the assist.

12' Pickford bravely denies De Bruyne effort

England are all over the place in defence as Lukaku's poor pass somehow bobbles through to De Bruyne, who sees his shot at goal deflected and then saved by Pickford.

16' A heavy touch from Lukaku sees him miss a chance

Belgium continue to look dangerous when they push into the final third, with De Bruyne finding room to work with and playing teasing balls through to Lukaku.

23' What a chance missed by Kane!

Sterling brings a long ball down superbly before teeing the ball across to Kane, who lashes a shot off target.

34' CLOSE! Alderweireld's shot over the bar

Belgium earn their first corner of the game after Stones deflects Hazard's shot behind and De Bruyne tries something different, blasting a low ball to the edge of the area...

Tielemans does not strike cleanly but it bounces up for Alderweireld, who volleys narrowly over the bar.

55' Lukaku poor touch wastes a clear chance

A superb cross-field pass from De Bruyne sees Belgiuym break on the counter, feeding Meunier before receiving possession again.

He then tees a through ball to Lukaku but Pickford is quick off his line to collect.

70' Dier goal-bound shot cleared off the line by Alderweireld

Dier dances through the midfield, playing a one-two with Rashford, and then chipping an attempt over Courtois...

However, Alderweireld is alert to the danger and hooks the ball away to deny a certain goal.

79' WHAT A SAVE from Pickford to deny Meunier!

Pickford keeps England in the game! Belgium hit on the counter once again and their move is sublime.

De Bruyne tees a ball through to Hazard, who's first-time cross is volleyed by Meunier and forces Pickford to make a stunning stop.

82' GOAL! Belgium 2-0 England (Hazard)

More superb build-up play from Belgium finishes with De Bruyne playing a perfectly-weighted pass through to Hazard, who surges into the box and drills into the bottom left-hand corner.

De Bruyne, as he so often does, has been running the show in midfield and certainly deserves his assist.

Match Report

Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard combined to secure Belgium's best performance at a World Cup as they edged England 2-0 in the third-place play-off in St Petersburg on Saturday.

Having fallen one match shy of a maiden final appearance in Tuesday's slim 1-0 defeat to France, the Red Devils' vaunted golden generation lifted themselves off the canvass to improve upon the fourth-place finish managed by Enzo Scifo, Jan Ceulemans and company in 1986.

Meunier was the unlikely hero early on as his close-range finish in the opening exchanges denied England what would have been their best tournament result since lifting the trophy 52 years ago.

Belgium's electrifying start mirrored that which Gareth Southgate's men had made in their semi-final loss to Croatia, when a Kieran Trippier free-kick in the fifth minute looked likely to book them a second berth on the big stage.

But they eventually fell in extra time then and again conceded late in a less pressurised environment this time around, Hazard wrapping up victory - and Belgium's second tournament win over England - with his third of the campaign in the 82nd minute.

Harry Kane's struggles in the knockout rounds continued but, with Romelu Lukaku unable to add to the four he netted in Group G, should take home England's only silverware as the likely Golden Boot winner, with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann three goals behind Kane's tally of six.

Line-ups

Belgium XI: Courtois, Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen, Meunier, Witsel, De Bruyne, Tielemans, Chadli, R. Lukaku, E. Hazard

Subs: Vermaelen, Fellaini, Carrasco, Mignolet, Casteels, Mertens, T. Hazard, Januzaj, Dembele, Boyata, Batshuayi, Dendoncker

England XI: Pickford, Rose, Stones, Maguire, Trippier, Jones, Delph, Dier, Loftus-Cheek, Kane, Sterling

Subs: Walker, Lingard, Henderson, Vardy, Butland, Welbeck, Cahill, Young, Rashford, Dele Alli, Alexander-Arnold, Pope