Football: Belgium fight back to beat Algeria

Two goals in 10 second-half minutes by substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens gave Belgium a 2-1 comeback victory over Algeria after the north Africans had threatened a shock result in their World Cup Group H match.

Algeria had not scored in more than eight hours of World Cup tournament play dating back to 1986, but ended that streak with a Sofiane Feghouli penalty after 25 minutes, awarded when he was clumsily pulled back by Jan Vertonghen.

Belgium were rated fifth-favourites to win the World Cup but struggled to make an impact until Kevin De Bruyne picked out Fellaini, on as a substitute four minutes earlier, to cleverly head in from 13 metres after 70 minutes.

Yet another World Cup comeback was completed 10 minutes later when fellow sub Mertens lashed in the second from a tight angle to put Belgium top of a group also containing Russia and South Korea, who meet later on Tuesday.