There are comebacks, and then there is the sort of chaotic, high wire act that Belgium produced against Senegal in the last 32. Forget the statistics....
There are comebacks, and then there is the sort of chaotic, high wire act that Belgium produced against Senegal in the last 32. Forget the statistics. Forget the pre match predictions. What unfolded under the lights was a masterclass in holding your nerve when the walls are caving in, punctuated by a moment of pure, unadulterated controversy that will be debated in Brussels and Dakar for years.For large swathes of this contest, Belgium looked stale. The much vaunted golden generation, now tarnished by age and a distinct lack of tactical flexibility, were camped inside their own half. Senegal, by contrast, were the sharper outfit. They exploited the space behind Belgium's ageing full backs with a ruthless low block of their own transitioning into devastating speed. Two goals to the good, the African champions looked set to cruise into the last sixteen. They had, as they say, the cat firmly by the tail. Senegal's fans were already singing, the Belgian bench looked shell shocked. The game, for all intents and purposes, was dead.But football has a vile sense of humour. Belgium, against the run of play, found a lifeline just before the hour mark. A scramble in the box, a deflection, and suddenly it was 2 1. The momentum shifted completely. The Senegalese, who had been so composed in possession, started to panic. They sat deeper, inviting pressure. It was squeaky bum time for the underdogs, and they bottled it. A second Belgian goal, a crisp finish from a recycled corner, levelled the scores and sent the match hurtling into extra time.Then came the moment that defines this tie. Deep into the additional period, with penalties looming, Youri Tielemans picked up the ball thirty yards from goal. He shifted it onto his right foot and let fly. The ball took a wicked, unnatural deflection off a Senegalese defender, looping over the goalkeeper in slow motion. The Belgian players erupted. The Senegalese surrounded the referee. Was it handball Was it a foul in the build up Replays were inconclusive, the referee's decision was final. Tielemans, a player who has often been criticised for lacking a cutting edge, had delivered the killer blow.This was not beautiful football. It was raw, visceral, and deeply flawed. Belgium were bullied for long periods and relied on a slice of fortune to progress. But in a knockout tournament, nobody asks how you won. They only ask if you are still standing. Senegal will feel hard done by, and rightly so. They were the better side for 110 minutes. Yet, as GoalZaza reported in breaking news, the Red Devils found a way. That resilience, that refusal to accept defeat, is what separates the pretenders from the contenders. The late great Sir Bobby Robson used to say football is a game of mistakes. Tonight, Senegal made one crucial one, and Tielemans made them pay.Belgium stagger into the last sixteen, battered and bruised but very much alive. Can they actually go all the way playing like this Probably not. But the mark of a champion is winning when you are not at your best. And on a frantic night under the floodlights, Belgium proved they still possess that stubborn, glorious spirit.
