Croatia solidified their position in Group A with a 1-1 draw against Belgium at the Koning Boudewijn Stadion, getting a point from perhaps their most difficult fixture of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. They could very easily have earned a win, too, especially after going ahead in the sixth minute via Borussia Dortmund's Ivan Perisic, who mopped up a loose clearance with a precise finish past Thibaut Courtois.
But the visitors never really had control of the match, and Belgium cranked up the pressure throughout the first half. They could have equalised twice over through Christian Benteke, but the striker blew a pair of clear-cut chances and Croatia were able to keep the rest of Belgian's attackers more or less at bay. That didn't stop right back Guillaime Gillet from levelling during first-half stoppage time with a 25-yard thunderbolt following a corner.
The second half saw plenty of Belgium pressure coming to nothing, despite the introductions of Everton duo Marouane Fellaini and Kevin Miralles, and it was actually Croatia who had the best chance to snatch another pair of points only to see Domagoj Vida head wide with the goal at his mercy as time ticked away.
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