Belgium just produced a late minute masterclass against Senegal to comeback from 2-0 down and win it in extra time. Without any doubts, it was a thrilling match but heartbreaking for Senegal, who played a great game and were in complete control after scoring two goals. Their first came in the 25th minute from Habib Diarra, followed by an Ismaïla Sarr goal in the 51st minute to extend the lead to 2-0. This defeat will surely take some time to get over, as they controlled the match for 86 minutes and could have scored even more if Sarr hadn't hit the post twice just before Diarra's opener.
Belgium, who looked clueless for most of the match and it looked like that their world cup run was over, made an incredible comeback by scoring two goals in three minutes. Romelu Lukaku scored in the 86th minute, followed by the equaliser scored by Youri Tielemans in 89th minute, sending the match into extra time. Where, they sealed the victory in the 125th minute through a highly controversial penalty scored by Tielemans.
- Was it a penalty?
The 120th-minute VAR awarded penalty sparked intense debate. Much of the outrage came from the delayed phase of play, referee Saíd Martínez pulled the action back for review after Dodi Lukébakio hit the crossbar, right when both teams were mentally preparing for a penalty shootout. Furthermore, fans argue that Lamine Camara's contact through the back of Tielemans' leg was just a normal physical tangle in the box that did not meet the clear and obvious threshold required for VAR to intervene at such a critical, game ending moment.
Despite the drama and a heartbreaking loss for Senegal, Belgium advances to the Round of 16 to face the winner of United States vs. Bosnia. However, Belgium will need to fix their backline, which was completely exposed in the opening minutes. Things could have gone very differently if Thibaut Courtois hadn't stepped up with several crucial saves.