Thursday's moment of the day: Gvardiol's apt metaphor sinks Belgium

The Atlas Lions secured a 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs to ensure their place in the knockouts, while the Blazers' 0-0 draw with the Red Devils was enough to get them over the line.

Belgium, admittedly the less impressive of the two sides over 90 minutes, did carve out a number of good chances to score but failed to do so.

Most of those opportunities landed in the lap of Romelu Lukaku, his nation's record goal-scorer, who had a game to forget.

Croatia's Josko Gvardiol, who has impressed at the World Cup so far, offered up a truly eye-catching moment as his side kept their clean sheet intact.

Through no merit of their own the Croatians saw Belgium waste chance after chance in the second period, but the 20-year-old defender delivered a moment of sheer class.

Just as Lukaku looked to be in on goal - a chance which momentum suggested he'd finish - Gvardiol's outstretched leg put it a touch beyond the Belgian.

Considering much has been made of the Red Devils' 'golden generation', an up-and-coming starlet putting a stop to them felt painfully apt.

Of course Belgium still have a lot of talent, some of them in their early 20s, but Lukaku (29), Kevin De Bruyne (31) and Eden Hazard (31) - the nation's three jewels - no longer have their best years in front of them.

As one door closes another opens, and now the Belgians will have to wait two years for another major tournament while Croatia progress in Qatar.