SEATTLE — Down to its final last-gasp chances, Belgium came through with goals — three of them.
The Red Devils overturned a two-goal deficit with two scores in the final minutes of regulation time and then added a third in the final seconds of extra time to somehow claw back into the game and beat Senegal 3-2 Wednesday in the round of 32 at the World Cup.
Youri Tielemans scored the equalizing goal in the 89th minute and then converted from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time in extra time for the latest goal in World Cup history.
He was fouled with only seconds to go and with a penalty shootout looming, and the referee awarded the spot kick after a video review.
“I do not want to interpret the decision. We all have different interpretations when it comes to awarding a penalty,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said. “I’d rather not comment, not interpreting the referee’s decision.”
The win for Belgium marked the second time in the last 11 World Cups that a team trailed by two or more goals in the knockout round and advanced. Belgium also did so in a 3-2 victory over Japan in the round of 16 at the 2018 tournament.
Many of the key players from that Belgium team, which finished in third place in Russia, were instrumental to Wednesday’s victory.
Striker Romelu Lukaku, who leads his nation in goals scored, came off the bench to get Belgium back into the match by scoring in the 86th minute, setting the scene for Tielemans to force extra time.
“It is a cruel loss, as we were good in the game,” Thiaw said. “We had the advantage. We were leading 2-0. However a football match is not an 85-minute one. Belgium came back, and we were not able to deal with that … We must congratulate Belgium as they progress.”
Belgium is back in the round of 16 for the third time in four tournaments. The team reached the quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals in 2018 but failed to get out of the group stage four years ago in Qatar.
The Belgians will next face either the United States or Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday in Seattle.
Ismaïla Sarr scored his fourth goal of the World Cup, and one of the most beautiful of the tournament, to give Senegal a 2-0 lead in the 51st minute. He made a perfect first touch off his chest on a long ball from Moussa Niakhaté and then sent his shot past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Senegal, which was without goalkeeper Édouard Mendy because of a knee injury, took the lead on Habib Diarra’s goal in the 25th minute.
Courtois, who is playing in his fourth World Cup, then made three key saves to keep Senegal from increasing its lead.
It’s the second time this year Senegal has been hit with a late penalty in a big game.
In the Africa Cup of Nations final on Jan. 18, Senegal’s players left the field in stoppage time after having a late goal ruled out before Morocco was awarded a potentially game-deciding penalty. There were scuffles between rival players before Senegal coach Pape Thiaw led most of his players off the field.
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They returned after about 10 minutes later and play resumed with Morocco midfielder Brahim Díaz having his penalty saved by Mendy. Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye then scored the only goal in extra time, but the victory was taken away in March by the governing body of African soccer and Morocco was awarded a 3-0 default victory.
In Wednesday’s match, Senegal defender Pathé Ciss went down with an injury directly on top of the penalty spot in an apparent protest as his teammates argued with the referee. Ciss only moved once it was time for Tielemans to take the shot.
“Well, when the penalty was awarded, we had our own interpretation. We believed that there was no penalty,” Thiaw said. “The players tried to challenge the decision. It’s their right. And, then the penalty was taken. And, this is why we were eliminated.”
Senegal had advanced to the knockout round as one of the best third-place finishers, ending up in that spot after playing in a tough group with two-time champion France and the Erling Haaland-led Norway.
Belgium players Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku both surprisingly came off in the 56th minute.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
