Tielemans lifts Belgium out of mediocrity in historic comeback against Senegal
Belgium went to the round of 16 with the biggest blow of the year World 2026. Senegal led 0-2 with four minutes left in the 90th minute, but a goal from Romelu Lukaku in 86′ and another Youri Tielemans In stoppage time they sent the game to extra time. And in the last breath of extra time, a controversial penalty that the Belgian midfielder scored with nerves of steel put the Europeans in the next round (3-2). There they wait for the hostess USA either Bosnia Herzegovina.
Senegal, which had qualified fairly (third and three points) after losing with France and Norway and beat Iraq After being left with one less in the 13th minute of the last game of the group stage, they were one step away from destroying a team that until recently was considered a candidate.
In the 86th minute, they won 0-2 and Belgium’s failure, which had already been warning in a very affordable group where they were saved at the expense of the soulless New Zealand In extremis, he was about to fall. But, suddenly, Belgian resurrection and Senegalese collapse. Two goals in three minutes changed everything and sent the game to extra time.
The champion of Africa He had come out to do something that we have not seen in the European team in any of the four games: bite from the opening whistle. Hence Senegal’s seven shots in the first half. Fruit of his ambition to attack came the goal of Habib Diarra in the 25′.
Senegal, better in everything
The play included some luck, which is deserved by those who try it again and again. Ismaila Sarr finished off a good center Sadio Mane into the area from the left and Thibaut Courtois He stretched with everything, but left the ball dead so that the midfielder of the SunderlandEdit pushed into an empty goal and made it 0-1.
Before, the goalkeeper real Madridwho is still in a higher dimension than the rest of his teammates, made a mistake that could have cost Belgium dearly. A hasty exit caused a center of Ismail Jakobs Sarr was served a ball on a plate to score that he was not even expecting. He hit the stick and those of Rudi Garcia they would fight over the next 13 minutes.
After conceding the first, Belgium circled the African area, but without any danger. By Keteleare It was the sacrifice of the Belgian coach and the solution, a Lukaku who had been in the twilight of his career for some time, but who would unleash the lethal assault of his team later.
It wouldn’t take long for Senegal to strike again. Niakhatéa daring African central defender, sent a long ball to the beyond that Sarr received between the pair of Belgian defenders to end up beating Courtois on the left with an unstoppable shot.
Belgium ties in three minutes
Five minutes later, Rudi García took out his two stars: Kevin de Bruynepossibly his last performance in a World Cup, already Jeremy Doku to put into Raskin already Dodi lukebakio. The changes didn’t work for him either until Lukaku finished off a pass from Thomas Meunier from the right with his bad leg to beat the Senegalese goalkeeper, who would become a villain for Senegal at 2-2.
A terrible departure Mory Diaw and a punch in the air in his attempted clearance caused Tielemans to head a cross into the net that was served by Trossard, with whom minutes before he had a heated argument that forced several of his teammates to separate them.
The tie scared some and contained others. Nobody wanted to lose what they had planted, neither the one who had almost everything done nor the one who found it by magic. Hence the boring first half of extra time. The second started more lively and Mbayé He forgave in 108′. It was Senegal’s first clear chance since their second goal. Its collapse is tremendous.
Before the final drama, Belgium responded in the 117th minute, but Lukebakio crashed into the crossbar. Then, the action of discord. As in the final of the Africa Cup, Senegal committed a controversial penalty, this time on Tielemans. Not even the referee Hector Martinez neither Pacheco Larios They became clear and, adding all the suspense in the world, the decision after seeing it on the screen was to send the Belgians to 11 meters.
Tielemans reigns in the drama
Tielemans had the World Cup in Belgium and Senegal in his boots. It was glory or death. And it didn’t fail. The midfielder of Aston Villa He signed the epic double by scoring the penalty and his country advanced to the round of 16 in the craziest match of the tournament. As in the comeback of Russia 2018 against Japan (also from 0-2 to 3-2), a mediocre Belgian team was clinging to the competition.