Repka's red helps Belgian cause

Belgium 2 Czech Republic 1

The Belgian captain Gert Verheyen scored to give his side a one-goal lead to protect in Prague against a Czech Republic team that will be further deprived for the return leg.

Their task was aided when the Czech defender Tomas Repka was sent off three minutes before half-time for elbowing Belgium's striker Bart Goor in the face after a tussle on the edge of the penalty area and will miss the second leg on Wednesday.

The Czech coach, Josef Chovanec, was already without a number of first-team regulars through injury and suspension, and his task is now made even more difficult without the uncompromising stopper.

Verheyen's goal came after 30 minutes when he connected with Sven Vermant's free-kick at the far post to slide the ball past a group of defenders. The Czechs were then reduced to 10 men as their hopes further receded.

The visitors, playing with just one man up front, never penetrated Robert Waseige's makeshift central defence of Phillipe Clement, Glen De Boeck and the substitute Eric Van Meir. Indeed, the Czech backline resisted admirably as Waseige encouraged his side to attack, introducing the striker Joris Van Houdt in the second half.

Van Houdt almost went close to widening the deficit, but he put his headed effort wide. The victory gives Belgium a slender lead for the return and Verheyen, the captain in the absence of the injured Marc Wilmots, said: "We would have taken this result beforehand. It was a hard-fought game, but that's normal. It was good to score, but it will be necessary to score there as well."

However, the Belgian coach Robert Waseige was more upbeat: "It is a good result, though I had the feeling there was more in it after Repka's red card. You talk about an excellent result when you win 3-0. But psychologically, 1-0 is already important."

Waseige could not resist taking a dig at what he thought was a subdued home crowd. "I still feel we didn't get the support we deserved," he said.

Waseige's side's hopes of reaching their sixth consecutive World Cup finals were set back by yellow cards to two key players – the defender Eric van Meir and the striker Wesley Sonck – meaning they will automatically miss the return match in Prague.

Belgium: De Vlieger; Deflandre, Clement, Van Meir (De Boeck, h-t), Van Kerckhoven, Simons, Vermant, Goor, Sonck (Van Houdt, 79), Walem, Verheyen.

Czech Republic: Srnicek; Repka, Novotny, Nedved, Grygera (Ujfaluse, 32), Jankulovski, Smicer (Huschman, h-t), Poborsky, Hasek, Jarosik, Baros (Lokvenc, 66).

Referee: U Meier (Switzerland).

Attendance: 35,000