Belo Horizonte (Brazil): Returning to the World Cup stage after 12 years, Belgium rallied in stunning fashion to beat Algeria 2-1 with two second half goals in a thrilling opening Group H match here on Tuesday.
Widely billed as the group favourites and dark horse to lift the trophy, Belgium had to toil hard to erase the 1-0 deficit after Algeria had taken the lead in the 25th minute against the run of play through a penalty kick conversion by Sofiane Feghouli.
Belgium, most of whose players ply thei trade in top European clubs, like Chelsea star Eden Hazard and Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany, turned the match on its head with two goals in the space of 10 minutes.
Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini equalised in the 70th minute through a glancing header off Kevin De Bruyne’s fine cross from the left and, with momentum on Belgium’s side, substitute Dries Mertens produced a fierce finish with a low shot for the winning goal in the 80th minute.
This’s victory was the first World Cup win for Belgium after defeating Russia 3-2 in a group match in Shizuoka, Japan, in 2002 and they richly deserved it as they had an overwhelming 65 percent possession and dictated terms to their opponents except for conceding the surprise first goal.
To the credit of Algeria, who were playing in their fourth World Cup, they frustrated a quality European side, full of players from top clubs, for 70 minutes, although the resistance broke down in the last 20 minutes.
Algeria sat back in the first half with more men in the defence but were lucky to have taken the lead through a surprise opening in the 25th minute.
It looked like Algeria would register their first World Cup win after their victory over Chile in 1982 in Spain but it was a matter of time before a rampaging Belgium stamped their authority with incessant attacks under which the Algerian defence crumbled finally.
Algeria dominated possession in the opening minutes, surging forward and moving the ball with flair but Belgium eventually settled down and took control of the game.
It was, however, Algeria who took a stunning lead from the only opening they got in the first half. Left back Jan Vertonghen pulled down the pacy Feghouli on the edge of the box in the 25th minute and the Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez had no hesitation to point to the spot.
Velencia winger Feghouli coolly converted the penalty kick, placing the ball to the left of wrong-sided goalkeeper Thibaut Courtios. (PTI