Belgium go through to the semi-finals for the first time since 1986, after a 2-1 win over Brazil. The South American failed to capitalise on their chances in the final-third until a late goal from Renato Augusto. However, goalkeeper Courtois’s brilliant saves, in the end, ensured Belgium maintained the lead. Coach Roberto Martinez will be happy with his side’s performance at the Kazan Arena, as Belgium gear up to take on France in the semis. It is the end of the road for favourites Brazil, who are eliminated by a European side for the fourth time in a row. 


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Belgium 2-1 Brazil!!!


 



 


FULL-TIME!!!


90+4 minute: SAVED!!! Courtois makes a brilliant save to deny Neymar and Brazil with an equaliser. That was close. 


5 minutes of Stoppage time!!


90 minute: Yellow card! Brazil's Fagner gets booked for a challenge on Hazard. 


89 minute: Brazil are pushing hard in the midfield but fail to capitalise in the final third. 


87 minute: Substitution for Belgium. Lukaku is replaced by Tielemans.


84 minute: Neymar sprints into the Belgium box, cuts in from a defender and makes a cross but Coutinho fails to hit the target. That was close. 


83 minute: Substitution for Belgium. Vermaelen replaces N. Chadli. 


80 minute: MISS!! Augusto picks up a pass from Neymar outside the Belgium box but fires the ball wide. What a match this is turning out to be. Brazil hunt for the elusive equaliser in the dying minutes of the match. 


78 minute: MISS!! Neymar opens the Belgium defence to find Firmino, who attempts a back-heal shot but hits it off-target. That was close. Brazil are up and attacking. 


Belgium 2-1 Brazil!


76 minute: GOAL!!! Augusto scores his sixth goal for Brazil with a header into the bottom corner. 


75 minute: SAVED!! Costa sprints into the Belgium box and fires the ball towards the goal, but plunges forward to save. 


74 minute: Substitution for Brazil. Augusto is in for Paulinho.


70 minute: Yellow card!  Belgium's Meunier picks up his second yellow card for a challenge on Neymar. Meunier will miss the semi-final if Belgium win today. 


62 minute: MISS!! De Bruyne makes a brilliant pass to Hazard but the latter misses the target by a whisker. That was close. 


58 minute: Substitution for Brazil. Costa replaces Jesus. 


54 minute: Corner for Brazil. Marcelo opts for a short pass to Neymar. Kompany brings down Jesus in the box. Referee calls for play-on. 


50 minute: Brazil's Marcelo turns inside the box but fails to find a teammate with his cross. Brazil are pressing hard. 


49 minute: That was close! Lukaku picks up a pass on the right flank and makes a dangerous run into the box but fails to get past a Brazilian defender. 


47 minute: Yellow card!!  Belgium's Alderweireld gets booked for a challenge on Paulinho. 


Second-half is underway!


Belgium 2-0 Brazil!!


Half-time!


45+1 minute: That was close. Neymar sprints into the Belgium box to pick up a pass but the off-side flags go up. 


1 minute of Stoppage time!


 



 


40 minute: Free-kick to Belgium near the Brazilian box. This could be dangerous. De Bruyne curls a dipping ball towards the goal but goalkeeper Alisson tips the ball away for a corner. 


37 minute: SAVED!! Brazil's Coutinho curls the ball on target but goalkeeper Courtois leaps to his left to make a brilliant save. 


36 minute: MISS!! Marcelo chips the ball into the middle and finds Jesus but the latter fails to direct his header on target. 


Belgium 2-0 Brazil!!!


31 minute: GOAL!!!! Belgium's De Bruyne fires a stunning goal into the far post. What a goal. Belgium double their lead. 


29 minute: Free-kick to Brazil after Paulinho goes in a challenge from Vertonghen. Neymar attempts a shot from distance but his shot gets deflected away for a corner. 


23 minute: Belgium's Lukaku opens the Brazilian defence up and threatened with a shot on target before a timely clearance by a Brazil defender. That was close.  


19 minute:  Brazil's Coutinho cuts in from a Belgium defender but fires the ball directly into the hands of the goalkeeper. Brazil are pressing hard for the equaliser. 


Brazil are behind for the first time in this World Cup. 


Brazil 0-1 Belgium!


13 minute: GOAL!!! Brazil's Fernando Luiz Rosa deflects Kompany's header into his own goal. Belgium take the lead. 


12 minute: Belgium's De Bruyne makes a brilliant pass to Fellaini but his shot gets deflected away. Corner for Belgium. 


10 minute: MISS!!  Corner for Brazil. Paulinho goes unmarked but messes it up. Brazil waste another opportunity. 


7 minute: Corner for Brazil. Neymar whips the ball in to find Silva, who flicks the ball to the post. That was close. Belgium on the counter-attack. Chadli attempts a shot from distance but curls the ball away from the goal. 


3 minute: Brazil's  Neymar makes a threatening chip shot from the left but hits it directly into the hands of goalkeeper Courtois. 


2 minute: Belgium's De Bruyne attempts a shot from distance but hits the ball wide.


Kick-off!


 



 


Lineups


Brazil XI: Alisson; Fagner, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marcelo; Paulinho, Fernandinho, Coutinho; Willian, Jesus, Neymar.


Belgium XI: Courtois; Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen; Meunier, Fellaini, Witsel, Chadli; De Bruyne, Hazard; R Lukaku.


Belgium, who advanced to the semi-finals only once in their World Cup history (1986), will look to equal that record when they face five-time champions Brazil. The South Americans have met Belgium only once in the World Cup, beating them 2-0 in the round of 16 in 2002. 


Skipper Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku form Belgium’s promising attack against Brazil’s resilient defence, which has conceded only one goal in four matches in the tournament. Brazil, on the other hand, will rely on star strikers, Neymar, Coutinho and Willian to come good against the West Europeans. 


Squads: 


Brazil:


Goalkeepers - Alisson, Ederson, Cassio.


Defenders - Danilo, Fagner, Pedro Geromel, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Miranda, Marcelo, Filipe Luis. 


Midfielders - Casemiro, Fernandinho, Renato Augusto, Fred, Coutinho, Paulinho, Willian.


Forwards - Douglas Costa, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Taison.


Belgium: 


Goalkeepers- Koen Casteels, Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet.


Defenders - Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Leander Dendoncker, Vincent Kompany, Thomas Meunier, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen.


Midfielders - Yannick Carrasco, Nacer Chadli, Kevin De Bruyne, Mousa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini, Thorgan Hazard, Adnan Januzaj, Youri Tielemans, Axel Witsel.


Forwards - Michy Batshuayi, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens.