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Belgium secure World Cup spot and shock draw for France

Romelu Lukaku headed the winner for Belgium
Romelu Lukaku headed the winner for Belgium

Belgium became the first European team to qualify for next year's World Cup when a Romelu Lukaku header gave them a dramatic 2-1 win away to Greece on Sunday.
           
Belgium became the sixth team to make sure of their place at the 2018 tournament alongside Brazil, Japan, Iran and Mexico, plus Russia who qualified automatically as hosts.
           
The win left Belgium with 22 points from eight games at the top of Group H, eight clear of Bosnia who won 4-0 away to Gibraltar. They have two games each to play.
           
The winners of the nine European groups qualify directly and the best eight runners-up play off for four more places.
           
The goals all came in a five-minute spell during the second half.
           
Jan Vertonghen gave Belgium the lead in the 70th minute with a left-foot drive into the bottom corner.
           
Belgium's celebrations were cut short three minutes later when Greece's Portugal-born Zeca side-footed home after Georgios Tzavelas sent over a pinpoint cross to equalise.
           
But one minute after that, Lukaku headed into the far corner after being picked out by Thomas Meunier.

Luxembourg resisted bravely under sustained pressure to hold France to a 0-0 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
           
Les Bleus, who had thrashed the Netherlands 4-0 on Thursday, created many opportunities and hit the woodwork twice but had to be content with a draw that puts them one point clear at the top of Group A with 17 points from eight games.
           
Sweden are second one point back after beating Belarus 4-0 earlier on Sunday, with the Netherlands in third place a further three points adrift after beating Bulgaria 3-1.
           
France confiscated the ball from the kickoff and had their chances in the first half, notably when Antoine Griezmann rattled the crossbar from a free kick five minutes from the break.
           
Luxembourg, however, resisted bravely and changed ends with the tie still goalless.
           
Defender Djibril Sidibe came close to putting France ahead with a header on 63 minutes that Luxembourg goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert did well to save and midfielder Paul Pogba hit the crossbar with a header on 73 minutes.
           
The home side survived a fright five minutes later when a swift counter-attack from the visitors ended with midfielder Gelson Rodrigues entering the box to hit the post with an angled shot.

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