With 86 minutes on the clock it was effectively all over. Senegal were 2-0 up, their fans were partying in the stands and Belgium were going through the motions.
The Belgium golden generation obituaries were being written, not least after their greatest ever player Kevin De Bruyne – plus a seemingly disgusted Jeremy Doku – were substituted after just 55 minutes. Senegal were excellent value for their famous imminent victory.
Precisely 159 seconds later, the scoreline was 2-2 thanks to one of the most unlikely World Cup comebacks in living memory.
It was a comeback as devastatingly clinical as it was unlikely, recalling a previous miraculous Belgium recovery when they came from 2-0 down to beat Japan in the last 16 in 2018.
This was the first occasion this tournament of a team recovering from 2-0 down and was an occasion no one inside Seattle Stadium will ever forget.
📝 @TimSpiers
