Matchday 12 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup was a combative one, with every game hotly contested.
Match 41
Croatia v Belgium
Croatia secured their place in the Round of 16 with a 0-0 draw against Group F rivals Belgium in Al-Rayyan.
Belgium needed nothing less than a win to usurp their European rivals but were left to rue a host of missed chances, particularly from substitute Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku cut a devastated figure at full-time – a stark contrast to the relief felt by Zlatko Dalic’s men who will now play the top team from Group E.
Match 42
Canada v Morocco
Morocco claimed a remarkable first place finish in Group F with a 2-1 win over Canada on Friday morning (AEDT) thanks to first-half goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri.
Coming into the game on 4 points in second, the Atlas Lions needed a good result with Belgium on 3 in third and they got off to a great start thanks to a blunder from Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
Borjan rushed out to clear a ball and instead sent it straight into the path of Ziyech, who casually chipped home for a 1-0 lead after just four minutes.
En-Nesyri then latched on to a long ball from right back Achraf Hakimi in the 23rd minute and made no mistake, drilling low past Borjan to make it 2-0 as Morocco looked dominant.
Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd’s miskick led to an own goal that gave Canada hope five minutes before the half-time break, but the score remained the same and the North African nation secured a match-up with Spain in the Round of 16.
Match 43
Japan v Spain
Japan booked their ticket to the Round of 16 after defeating Spain, 2-1, in impressive fashion on Friday (AEDT).
Alvaro Morata had given La Roja an early lead at Khalifa International Stadium, where both sides were at risk of elimination pending Germany’s clash with Costa Rica.
Spain’s dominance dissipated in the second half, however, as two goals in five minutes saw Japan turn Group E on its head.
Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka’s efforts, coupled with their defensive determination to see out the contest, meant the Samurai Blue would finish top in dramatic fashion, and send Germany to another early exit.
Match 44
Costa Rica v Germany
Germany scored three late goals to overturn a 2-1 deficit, but Japan's victory over Spain in the other Group E match saw Hansi Flick's side eliminated in the group stage for the second straight time at a FIFA World Cup.
It did not take long for Die Mannschaft to find the back of the net, when Serge Gnabry found the end of a cross from David Raum to head past Keylor Navas from close range inside the opening 10 minutes.
The European side continued to dominate in attack, but a flurry of spurned chances opened the door for Costa Rica to capitalise on goal in the second half. The Central Americans equalised just before the hour-mark, as Yeltsin Tejeda tapped in after Manuel Neuer paried Jewison Bennette's initial attempt.
Costa Rica found themselves in the lead with 20 minutes remaining, as Neuer was credited with an own goal, but the lead would be short lived as Kai Havertz equalised just three minutes later and netted a second in the 85th.
Substitute Niclas Fullkrug added a fourth in the dying stages of the match, but proving not enough to rescue the Germans from third place in Group E. The defeat for Costa Rica sealed their fate of a fourth-placed finish, a point behind both their European opponents with a minus eight goal difference.
