Belgium are through to the quarter finals of the ongoing World Cup in Russia after winning the five-goal thriller between them and Japan on Monday.
Nacer Chadli rose from the substitutes’ bench to complete Belgium’s comeback from 2-0 down against Japan in the dying embers of injury time and enter World Cup 2018’s quarter finals with an epic 3-2 win.
The Samurai Blue emerged from a goalless first half to be two-goals ahead by 52 minutes through Genki Haraguchi’s breakaway and the outstanding Takashi Inui’s piledriver.
For Japan, a first entry into the last eight was looking within reach.
However, Roberto Martinez’s side who are tipped as one of the favorites for the top prize in Russia turned the game on and clawed their way back to victory.
Headers from Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini leveled things up by 74 minutes at Rostov Arena, before Chadli swept in a 94th-minute counter-attack to become the first nation since West Germany in 1970 to come back from 2-0 behind in the World Cup knockout phase.
Belgium will now face Brazil in what should be one of the explosive quarter final pairings.
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