Belgium manager Marc Wilmots said Eden Hazard was lucky to avoid being substituted following the Chelsea attacker's lacklustre display against Cyprus on Sunday.
Hazard, 24, hit a late winner in Nicosia as Belgium all-but secured their place in Euro 2016 by labouring to a 1-0 victory.
The reigning PFA and Football Writers' Association Player of the Year said last week that he had not been at his best this season -- although he was far from the only Belgian to underperform against Cyprus.
Wilmots said that Hazard was perhaps the worst of the bunch but left the player on because of his new stature and habit of making a difference late in matches.
"A year ago I think I would have taken him off," Wilmots told Belgian TV station RTBF.
"But now he's growing more and more in terms of maturity and importance. You can't blame him for trying things. Maybe he tries to force things too much individually -- it happens sometimes.
"I think the fact he was there to make it 1-0 was the only thing that saved his match today. But he knows it -- you don't have to say it to him.
"He's not in great form at Chelsea at the moment either so he'll grow during the season. He was decisive today and that's important all the same."
Wilmots said Belgium's display against Cyprus was one of the worst of his reign, picking out Kevin De Bruyne as one of the few players that he would give pass marks to.
De Bruyne played a decisive role in the only goal, winning the ball back and playing a fantastic pass for Dries Mertens to set up Hazard. But the new Manchester City signing was also frustrated by his team's showing.
"It was bad today," De Bruyne told RTBF. "I think it was the worst performance since I've been playing with the national team. In the end, we can be happy that we won it."
Liverpool's Christian Benteke was replaced by club teammate Divock Origi at half-time in a game of few positives for Belgium. But Wilmots said that the main thing was that they had managed to escape with three points.
"After eight matches we're practically qualified," he said. "At a certain point you also have to know how to play badly and be able to take the points you need. We're practically in France and that's the good news."