Belgium entered this tie on a strong attacking run: in their last six listed matches they scored **14 goals** and conceded **4**, including a **5-1** win over New Zealand and **5-0** over Tunisia, while Senegal arrived more volatile at **12 scored, 9 conceded** across their last six, but with a ceiling of a **5-0** win over Iraq and blowout losses to Norway and France. The most direct tactical clash was Belgium’s more controlled possession/transition game versus Senegal’s vertical, explosive front line, and the match state reflected that: Senegal led **2-0** through **Habib Diarra** and **Ismaïla Sarr** before Belgium’s bench and late-game pressure flipped it to **3-2 after extra time**. The decisive individual matchup was **Kevin De Bruyne’s** chance creation against Senegal’s midfield block: Belgium’s late equaliser and winner came after sustained pressure, with **Youri Tielemans** scoring in the **89th** and **125th** minutes, while **Romelu Lukaku** added the first comeback goal in the **86th**. On Senegal’s side, **Ismaïla Sarr** was the primary match-winner early, scoring once and directly forcing the second goal sequence, while **Sadio Mané** and **Bamba Dieng** were part of a front line that had produced Senegal’s recent attacking spike in group play, including the **5-0** over Iraq. Set pieces and box events were the statistical swing factor: Belgium’s winner came from a **penalty**, and Senegal’s opener followed a **header hitting the post** before a tap-in, underscoring how a game with only **5 total goals** was decided by high-leverage shots rather than sustained open-play dominance. The head-to-head record in the match database is effectively this single meeting, so the clearest statistical decider was Belgium converting late territorial pressure into better shot quality and extra-time execution, with the final shot profile reflected in the **3-2 AET** result and Belgium’s higher scoring output over the full tournament form set.