For a moment there, we thought they were going to storm off the pitch again. Senegal could not have believed their luck.
The reigning Africa Cup of Nations winners/runners up (delete as appropriate) were on course to condemn Belgium to an early exit. On the flow of the game, it would have been deserved. Belgium should have been the latest European nation heading home ahead of schedule after Germany and the Netherlands.
But it will be them, not Senegal, taking on the winners of the USA’s clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 16.
Rudi Garcia’s side will need to get their act together by then. They had to come from two goals down to dispatch of Senegal.
Senegal were good value for their lead, having shown more attacking conviction than a somewhat laboured Belgium in the first 25 minutes.
Charles De Ketelaere in particular had been guilty of not shooting quickly enough when a chance opened up. In contrast, Senegal were more incisive, with Ismaila Sarr hitting the post shortly before the goal.
When they did breach Thibaut Courtois’ net, it was a prime example of their willingness to get the ball into dangerous territory and react the most quickly once it got there.
Sarr again hit the woodwork from a Sadio Mane cross, before Habib Diarra pounced first onto the rebound for a routine finish.
Belgium’s best chance of the first half came from Maxim De Cuyper, with the Brighton full-back taking aim from outside the box and forcing a save from Mory Diaw.
But at the other end, he formed one half of a constant issue for Belgium. Their full-backs – De Cuyper and Timothy Castagne – were too content to stand off from their opposing wingers, making a 34-year-old Sadio Mane look threatening (more so than their own ageing ex-Premier League superstar, Kevin De Bruyne).
The Belgians didn’t seem to have learned their lessons when the first chance of the second half fell Senegal’s way. This time, after Mane’s low cross, Diarra missed the target.
Moments later, though, Sarr made no mistake to double Senegal’s lead. Clean through on goal after the Belgian defence were cut open by a long ball, he blasted in a powerful effort with his laces past Courtois.
Belgium hit back with five minutes to spare, as Romelu Lukaku struck at the nearpost. Then, unbelievably, three minutes later, Youri Tielemans equalised with a header.
All of a sudden, the momentum was with Belgium, for the first time in the game as it ticked over into stoppage time. Senegal held out to take it to extra time, when they should really have been over the line.
It was, to all intents and purposes, a robbery that Belgium were even able to make it that far. They had produced a drab performance within the 90 minutes, rescuing themselves at the death.
And they clinched it in dramatic fashion near the end of extra time, after being awarded a penalty by VAR. It took a while to arrive at the decision, but it was the right one.
Flashbacks to the AFCON final were inevitable, and Senegal seemed to try more subtle disruption tactics this time around, but there was no storming off.
Still, they must have felt like they’d suffered an injustice – not from the officiating, but by sheer footballing luck.
Youri Tielemans blasted home the winner from the spot with the polar opposite penalty to the one Brahim Diaz had missed for Morocco against Senegal in the AFCON final, and thus a penalty shootout wasn’t needed. Job done for Belgium, by the skin of their teeth.
The stats show two sides that were equal for shots, and those which were on target. But the xG value of Senegal’s chances was almost double Belgium’s.
Belgium weren’t strictly outplayed before their late comeback, but Senegal were certainly more threatening. The balance shifted after Lukaku came on for the eventual victors, but this tie still could have gone either way.
This one won’t need to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but Senegal can count themselves seriously unlucky at the way their latest major tournament appearance has ended.
