Football - UEFA Champions League - Galatasaray A.Åž. Liverpool FC - MD-1 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, September 29, 2025: Liverpool s team-mates Joe Gomez L and captain Virgil van Dijk during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Galatasaray A.Åž. and Liverpool FC. Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts/Propaganda LIVERPOOL AXA Training Centre MERSEYSIDE ENGLAND PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xDavidxRawcliffex P2025-09-29-Liverpool_UCL_TRAINING-27
Belgium midfielder Nico Raskin delivered a moment of calm authority during a heated exchange between team-mates that threatened to derail their World Cup campaign entirely.
The Rangers star stepped in as Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans and Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard became embroiled in an angry confrontation while Belgium were on the brink of elimination.
Raskin physically separated the two players, pushing them away from each other as frustrations boiled over with the Red Devils trailing Senegal 2-0.
The 25-year-old had come off the bench in the 56th minute, replacing Belgian superstar Kevin De Bruyne at a point when Belgium looked dead and buried.
His composure on the ball and sharp awareness of his surroundings proved instrumental in settling the mood and helping shift the momentum of the match.
Tielemans pulled one back to give Belgium hope, before the Aston Villa star then converted from the penalty spot seconds before the game was destined for a shoot-out.
Romelu Lukaku also netted in a remarkable second-half turnaround that forced the match into extra time before Belgium completed one of the World Cup’s most unlikely comebacks.
Belgium boss Rudi Garcia was full of praise for the contribution made by his substitutes, singling out Raskin alongside several others who transformed the tie.
Speaking after the victory, Garcia said: “The victory came from the bench with those who came on; not just Romelu. Everyone helped us. Dodi Lukebakio, Diego Moreira…”
Garcia continued: “Also the two midfielders Nico Raskin and Amadou Onana. Thomas Meunier. There you have it, we won tonight with 16 different outfield players and we need everyone.”
The Belgium manager also stressed the importance of collective belief, saying: “We had to correct things. We did that, and above all, we had to keep believing.”
Garcia added a note of caution heading into the next stage, warning: “Now it’s recovery, recovery, recovery, because 120 minutes takes its toll on the legs. We saw it in some players.”
Raskin now appears a strong candidate to start Belgium’s last 16 clash against the USA in the early hours of Tuesday morning after his vital showing against Senegal.
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