MOSCOW: Belgium scored a last-gasp winner to beat Japan on Monday and set up a World Cup quarter-final against Brazil.
The match looked set for extra-time after goals from Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini cancelled out efforts from Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui.
But as the seconds ticked down, Belgium poured forward and Nacer Chadli grabbed a dramatic winner.
For a moment, it looked to be the greatest game in Japanese soccer history. Up 2-0 against Belgium, Japan was looking at a first ever trip to the World Cup quarterfinals.
But Belgium unleashed its world-class quality and ripped off three straight goals, the last coming in the dying seconds of regulation, to crush Japan’s hopes on Monday in Rostov-on-Don.
Belgium is the first team to recover from a two-goal deficit to win a World Cup knockout match since Germany beat England 3-2 after extra time in Mexico in 1970.
