Belgium
EgyptEgypt outperformed their billing for the better part of an hour and Belgium's problems were self-inflicted — a lack of urgency, a lack of pressure, and the assumption that a single late substitution would be enough. Ashour's opener was real quality, not a fluke; Salah's involvement showed why Egypt's attack remains a genuine threat even from an underdog position. In the end a point each is a fair accounting of ninety minutes, though Egypt's share feels earned and Belgium's share feels rescued.
Belgium
Belgium were flat and uninspiring for the better part of an hour, struggling to find solutions against an Egypt side that defended with genuine organisation and attacked with real menace. Kevin De Bruyne had a quiet afternoon — hitting the outside of the post with a free-kick and otherwise failing to find the pockets of space he normally inhabits — and Garcia's side looked like a team that expected goals to arrive rather than one prepared to earn them. Lukaku's twenty-two-second cameo rescued a point and papered over significant cracks; Belgium will need to be braver and sharper from the first whistle in their next game.
Egypt
Egypt were the better team for most of the match and fully deserved their lead: Emam Ashour's audacious 20-yard strike, set up by the unfailing Mohamed Salah, was an immediate tournament highlight that rewarded a coherent and disciplined Egyptian performance. The Pharaohs held Belgium's attack at arm's length for over an hour, defended in compact banks, and came within a Lukaku arrival of recording their first World Cup victory. A cruel own goal denied history; Egypt's share of the point was more than earned.