Belgium lived up to its billing as second only to Germany in the FIFA rankings with a tougher than expected 4-3 victory over France, here on Sunday.
Fellaini gave Marc Wilmot’s side a 2-0 half-time lead, with goals in the 17th and 42nd minutes, before second-half strikes from Radja Nainggolan and Eden Hazard appeared to have put the result beyond doubt.
Mathieu Valbuena scored for the host from the penalty spot on 53 minutes, just before Hazard slotted home from a penalty moments later.
At 4-1 up and only minutes remaining, the visitors looked to be in complete control.
But Nabil Fekir pulled France back to 4-2 down with his first international goal in the dying minutes when he fired past Thibaut Courtois and Dimitri Payet added an injury time third for the French.
The results: At Dublin: Republic of Ireland 0 drew with England 0.
At Moscow: Russia 4 (Kokorin 20, Golovin 76, Miranchuk 83, Kerzhakov 90+2) bt Belarus 2 (Kislyak 51, 66).
At Paris: France 3 (Valbuena 53-pen, Fekir 89, Payet 90+1) lost to Belgium 4 (Fellaini 17, 42, Nianggolan 50, Hazard 54-pen).
At St. Polten: Serbia 4 (Ivanovic 10, 63, Ljajic 53, Markovic 89) bt Azerbaijan 1 (Nazarov 39).
