Result: Belgium beat Croatia 2-0 in Rijeka on Tuesday, giving Rudi Garcia a useful friendly benchmark as he settles his 3-4-2-1. Zlatko Dalić matched that structure but his rejigged side never found thrust after the interval reshuffle.
Team set-up: Croatia started Dominik Livaković behind a back three of Joško Gvardiol, Luka Vušković and Josip Šutalo, with Josip Stanišić and Ivan Perišić wide. Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić anchored midfield beneath Martin Baturina and Petar Sučić supporting Petar Musa. Belgium mirrored the shape: Thibaut Courtois in goal, Arthur Theate flanked by Nathan Ngoy and Amadou Onana, Alexis Saelemaekers and Maxim De Cuyper on the wings, Youri Tielemans and Nicolas Raskin inside, and Kevin De Bruyne with Jérémy Doku working behind Charles De Ketelaere.
First half analysis: Belgium were sharper in their rotations. Tielemans, captaining the side, dictated tempo while Onana and Raskin screened central lanes. The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Tielemans finished from De Cuyper’s low ball after persistent pressure down the left. Croatia’s best opening saw Modrić force Courtois into a save, but Belgium otherwise controlled territory. Baturina collected a yellow card in the 42nd minute for a late challenge that reflected his frustration under pressure.
Match control: Garcia’s wing-backs pinned Croatia deep, with De Cuyper repeatedly isolating Croatia’s right side. Doku’s duels with Perišić set the tone, and De Bruyne’s roaming dragged Josip Šutalo and Modrić away from their zones even without another scoring pass. Belgium’s compact block meant Musa, isolated, could only steer one of Croatia’s five shots toward goal.
Second half adjustments: Dalić reacted with a triple change on 58 minutes, introducing Mario Pašalić, Luka Sučić and Ante Budimir for Modrić, Kovačić and Musa. A minute later Dominik Kotarski replaced Livaković, with Marin Pongračić and Marco Pašalić also coming on for Gvardiol and Stanišić. The fresh legs could not restore structure, and Budimir received a yellow card in the 62nd minute as Croatia resorted to direct play.
Belgium’s rotation: Garcia managed minutes smartly. At 67 minutes Joaquin Seys, Koni De Winter and Thomas Meunier came on for Onana, Saelemaekers and De Bruyne, followed by Brandon Mechele for De Cuyper and Hans Vanaken for Ngoy in the 68th minute. De Winter joined the book in the 69th minute, but Belgium’s shape held. Romelu Lukaku and Matías Fernández-Pardo arrived in the 73rd minute, with Axel Witsel following in the 79th to steady midfield as Croatia chased.
Closing stretch: Croatia’s wave of 71st-minute substitutions—Nikola Moro, Nikola Vlašić, Andrej Kramarić and Kristijan Jakić—brought energy without end product despite a 57 percent possession share. Belgium limited the hosts to one shot on target. Lukaku, back from injury, sealed the win in the 90+6th minute by converting Vanaken’s pass on the break. Earlier, De Ketelaere’s 49th-minute caution joined the cards shown to Baturina, Budimir and De Winter, yet Belgium’s discipline largely held.
Key numbers: Croatia registered five shots with one on target, completing 536 passes at 87 percent accuracy. Belgium finished with eight shots, four on target, and 417 passes at 83 percent. Courtois made one save, while Livaković produced two and Kotarski added one after the interval. De Cuyper supplied two key passes from wing-back, and Tielemans added two more from deeper positions.
Implication: Belgium leave Rijeka with momentum, buoyed by Tielemans’ leadership and a disciplined defensive platform. Garcia can now phase in Lukaku with confidence before the remaining June friendlies, while De Bruyne and Doku look ready to headline the next outing. Croatia have work ahead of the weekend test as Dalić reassesses his rotation policy and searches for greater fluency.
