Ten-man Belgium held by resolute Iran in goalless Group G stalemate

There were no goals but plenty of drama at SoFi Stadium as Belgium and Iran fought to a 0-0 draw in their second Group G fixture, watched by a crowd of 70,317 in Inglewood.

Ngoy sees red

The defining moment arrived in the 66th minute when Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy was shown a red card, reducing the Red Devils to ten men for the closing stages. Iran, organised and physical throughout, sensed an opening but could not convert their numerical advantage into the breakthrough they needed.

Belgium dig in

Forced to defend deep, Belgium showed the resilience that had been missing earlier in the tournament, throwing bodies in the way and limiting Iran to half-chances. A point apiece kept both sides firmly in contention but left Belgium frustrated at a second successive draw.

With Egypt pulling clear at the top of the group, the stalemate ensured a tense finale awaited all four nations on the final matchday.