Belgium edge Senegal 3-2 after extra time with 125th-minute Tielemans penalty
Belgium came from two goals down against Senegal, equalising in the final five minutes of regular time and winning with a controversial penalty deep in extra time to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Senegal's bright start
Senegal dominated the opening half in Seattle, pinning Belgium back from the first whistle. Ismaïla Sarr struck the post with a header in the 24th minute and the rebound fell to Habib Diarra, who tapped in to make it 1-0. Sadio Mané delivered a measured cross for that chance and Senegal continued to carve out openings. A brief interruption occurred after half an hour when several fans ran onto the pitch, but the African champions' momentum was unaffected.
Senegal double their lead
Six minutes into the second half, Senegal extended their advantage. Moussa Niakhaté picked out Sarr with a deep pass from midfield, and the Crystal Palace forward fired hard past Thibaut Courtois. Belgium's defence was caught flat-footed and the 2-0 scoreline seemed to confirm Senegal's superiority. Belgian coach Rudi Garcia reacted by substituting Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, opting for a more direct approach.
Belgium's improbable rally
With Senegal easing off, substitute Romelu Lukaku gave Belgium hope by converting Thomas Meunier's cross in the 86th minute. Three minutes later, Youri Tielemans headed in Leandro Trossard's delivery to level. The turnaround sparked memories of Belgium's 2018 recovery from 2-0 down against Japan, the last time a team won a World Cup knockout match after such a deficit.
Extra time and the decisive penalty
Both sides had chances in extra time but the match appeared headed for a shootout until deep stoppage time. After a VAR review, Honduran referee Saíd Martínez judged that Lamine Camara had clipped Tielemans in the box and pointed to the spot. With 124 minutes and 44 seconds on the clock, Tielemans converted high into the right corner. Senegal's players protested furiously as Belgium completed the comeback.
An insane World Cup comeback in a rollercoaster match.
Please, don't let us play against Senegal.
A historic comeback
The 3-2 victory sends Belgium into the quarter-finals, where they will again play in Seattle against the winner of the United States vs Bosnia and Herzegovina tie. The result denied Senegal a chance to avenge their Africa Cup of Nations title, which was stripped after an appeal. The match drew parallels with Belgium's 3-2 win over Japan in the 2018 last 16, the last time a World Cup side recovered from a two-goal deficit.
- 24th minute: Habib Diarra scores for Senegal (1-0)
- 51st minute: Ismaïla Sarr doubles Senegal's lead (2-0)
- 86th minute: Romelu Lukaku pulls one back for Belgium (1-2)
- 89th minute: Youri Tielemans equalises with a header (2-2)
- 125th minute: Tielemans scores from penalty after VAR review (3-2)
Belgium's revival also extended Europe's dominance in the tournament's Europe-Africa Round of 16 clashes. Earlier, England beat DR Congo 2-1, Norway edged Ivory Coast 2-1, and Morocco eliminated the Netherlands on penalties. Switzerland face Algeria in the remaining tie.
