Cheidoze Ogbene and Alan Browne made sure to continue Ireland's recent unbeaten run against the world number one ranked team.
Stephen Kenny's men were unbeaten in their last six games before this afternoon's game and managed to hold Belgium to a draw after seeking an equaliser on two occasions.
Nine of the starting X11 from Ireland's last game in November against Luxembourg retained their places, with Caoimhin Kelleher and Jason Knight coming into the side.
Ireland didn't manage an attempt until just after the 3o-minute mark, but picked up the pace and managed to draw level thanks to an Ogbene spectacular effort. A Seamus Coleman deflection led to Ireland needing an equaliser for the second time in the game. Ireland clawed their way back with five minutes to go in the game after substitute Alan Browne's thumping header made it all square.
Here are the Ireland player ratings.
Legend:
1 - 2 awful
3 - 4 bad
5 - 6 average
7 - good
8 - very good
9 - exceptional
10 - Christian Eriksen in the Aviva
Caoimhin Kelleher - 6.5
Kelleher made only his second start for Stephen Kenny's side. It wasn't the afternoon he would have hoped for, but to his credit, there is no blaming the Corkman for conceding to Michy Batshuayi's curling shot in the first half. Kelleher wasn't called into action on many other occasions, but he'll be disappointed to have conceded the second goal from a corner.
Seamus Coleman - 7
A clever piece of play from the captain led to Ireland's best chance of the second half, as Callum Robinson had the ball swept away from him with an open goal in front. A deflection off Coleman gave Belgium their second lead of the game, but he made up for it with his pressing that led to a second equaliser. A steady performance from the Donegal native, with pros outweighing the cons.
Shane Duffy - 6
Duffy's poor passing left Ireland on the back foot, as Belgium capitalised on his mistake to take the lead. Made a vital block 30-minutes into the second half from another Batshuayi shot. If it wasn't clear before, it certainly is now that Duffy's weakness is accuracy in his passing.
John Egan - 6
Egan's composure helped shore up Ireland's defence at times, and his experience and physicality were on show for everyone to see. Moments of a lack of concentration meant Ireland had to chase the game on two occasions, so Egan's performance will be overshadowed by the nature of those momentary lapses.
Matt Doherty - 6
Didn't really make his mark on the game. Thorgan Hazard's high position up the pitch meant Doherty had to stay that extra step towards Ireland's goal, meaning the Spurs wing-back didn't impress on the attack. Doherty's run forward was vital for Browne's goal, but his poor pass could have changed the outcome of the game if Ogbene had not made the most of the pressure.
James McClean - 7.5
The Wigan man was a handful on the left-hand side for Belgium, creating a number of chances towards the end of the first half. Continued to threaten by hanging in the open spaces, looking for the switch of play. His speed began to wane as time went on, and was subbed off with 10-minutes to go.
Josh Cullen - 7.5
Once Ireland started to dominate the game, Cullen's crosses were vital to the boys in green drawing level. Cullen was all over the pitch for the team, and he managed the tempo of the play.
Jeff Hendrick - 6
Hendrick did not impress over the course of the game. Plenty of misplaced passes and a lack of intensity led to many turnovers in possession.
Chiedoze Ogbene - 8.5
One of Ireland's best performers over the past few months, and this evening was no different for Ogbene. He made some threatening runs behind the defence, causing Dendonker tonnes of problems. Definitely Ireland's most menacing of the attacking bunch. A goal, an assist, and a man of the match award for the Rotherham man earns him the highest rating of the team.
Jason Knight - 7.5
One of Ireland's most promising young players, Knight was involved in a lot of what Ireland did today. Had runs been timed better, Knight's involvement could have been a lot more glaring.
Callum Robinson - 7
Robinson looked to seek an opportunity on the edge of the box when losing in the first half but was thwarted by the Belgium backline. That didn't stop the 27-year-old from closing down the opposition at every chance. The Forward should have capitalised on the 47th-minute when he received the ball with an open goal in front of him, but the Belgium defence scrapped the ball away from his feet.
Substitutions
Alan Browne - 7.5
There wasn't a more impactful substitution in the game, as Browne thumped in a header to bring Ireland back on level terms for a second time. This was Browne's first international goal in over a year, but the power and direction made it look easy.
Will Keane - 7
Keane was impressive off the bench. Plenty of pressure was made by the Wigan forward, who retained possession on a number of occasions after coming on. His passing and composure put Ireland on the front foot as they looked to capitalise on the pressure put on the Belgium defence.
Ryan Manning (subbed on 80')
Troy Parrott (subbed on 89')
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