By Charles Maduka
Belgium produced a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat Senegal 3-2 after extra time in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, with captain Youri Tielemans scoring a dramatic late penalty to send the Red Devils into the Round of 16.
Senegal appeared to be cruising towards victory after Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr scored on either side of halftime to put the African side 2-0 ahead.
Belgium, who had surprisingly withdrawn Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne while trailing, looked out of ideas until Romelu Lukaku pulled one back with a clinical finish in the 86th minute. Three minutes later, Tielemans capitalised on a mistake by goalkeeper Mory Diaw to head home the equaliser.
Neither side created many clear chances during extra time until the closing moments. Tielemans was brought down by Lamine Camara inside the penalty area, and after a lengthy VAR review, Belgium were awarded a penalty. The captain calmly converted in the 125th minute to complete an unforgettable comeback.
Senegal threatened from the opening minutes and should have taken the lead when Thibaut Courtois spilled Ismail Jakobs’ cross into the path of Ismaila Sarr. However, the Crystal Palace forward struck the post before sending the rebound wide while on the ground.
The breakthrough eventually came in the 25th minute when Sarr’s flicked header hit the post and bounced kindly for Habib Diarra, who tapped into an empty net to put Senegal in front.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia introduced Romelu Lukaku at halftime, but Senegal extended their advantage just six minutes into the second half. Sarr raced onto Moussa Niakhate’s pass, controlled the ball brilliantly with his chest and smashed a powerful finish into the top-right corner.
Belgium looked destined for elimination until the closing stages of normal time. Lukaku gave them hope with a first-time finish from Thomas Meunier’s cross before Leandro Trossard and Tielemans combined for the equaliser, with the Aston Villa midfielder heading into an empty net after Diaw misjudged the flight of the ball.
As extra time drew to a close, Dodi Lukebakio struck the crossbar before VAR intervened to review Camara’s challenge on Tielemans earlier in the move. The referee pointed to the penalty spot, and Tielemans made no mistake by sending his effort into the top-right corner to seal Belgium’s dramatic victory.
Belgium repeat 2018 World Cup comeback
Both teams had battled through difficult group-stage campaigns before reaching the knockout rounds, and the contest lived up to expectations with a thrilling finish.
For most of the match, Senegal looked the better side. Habib Diarra, who also scored in the 5-0 victory over Iraq, became the first Senegal player to score in each of his first two World Cup starts. Ismaila Sarr also equalled the record for the most goals scored by an African player at a single World Cup with four, matching Cameroon’s Roger Milla’s achievement in 1990.
Kevin De Bruyne’s substitution in the 56th minute was the earliest he has ever been withdrawn in a World Cup match, and it appeared his tournament was coming to an end. However, Belgium staged an incredible revival to keep their campaign alive.
The Red Devils completed the latest two-goal comeback in normal time to avoid defeat in World Cup history before Tielemans’ winning penalty. They also became the first team since their own famous 3-2 comeback victory over Japan in 2018 to recover from two goals down and win a World Cup knockout match. Belgium are now only the second nation, after West Germany, to achieve that feat twice in the history of the competition.
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