Did you remember Brazil vs Belgium Quarter-Final 2018 World Cup Match? Don’t worry that thrilling clash is going live today again by FIFA on their youtube channel at 18:00 CEST on Sunday 10 May 2020.
Brazil vs Belgium Quarter-Final 2018
In an exciting quarter-final at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russi , Belgium managed to anger 2-1 star-studded Brazil and follow in the footsteps of the Red Devils, who had played the last four games in Mexico in 1986, suffered another bitter loss and could not prevent a Europe-wide semi-final line-up.
Math Summary
Brazil 1-2 Belgium
6 July 2018 | Kazan Arena, Kazan
Goalscorers: Belgium: Fernandinho (OG, 13′), De Bruyne (31′); Brazil: R. Augusto (76′)
Line-ups: Brazil: Alisson, Thiago Silva, Miranda (c), Marcelo, Fagner, Coutinho, Paulinho (Augusto 73’), Fernandinho, Willian (Firmino 45’), Gabriel Jesus (Douglas Costa 58’), Neymar
Belgium: Thibaut Courtois, Alderweireld, Kompany, Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel, Marouane Fellaini, Kevin De Bruyne, Nacer Chadli (Thomas Vermaelen 83’), Romelu Lukaku (Youri Tielemans 87’), Eden Hazard (c)
Match Story
Confidence: Belgium came into play with one thing that is crucial for Brazil or another world champion: confidence. The Red Devils showed great confidence in starting wave-to-wave early attacks to score two goals within 18 minutes in the first half. The first came from a corner that Kompany shot from close range past Fernandinho’s shoulder and Alisson, while the second De Bruyne dug a lavish right foot shot into the left post from the edge of the box.
Brazil’s mistake: In a knockout game, one mistake can often be fatal, let alone two or more. Although A Seleção has been warned by Belgium’s 12 goals in their last four games, it appears that he has been unable to cope with the movement and pace of the Red Devils.
Kompany remained unmarked for the corner that spawned the opener, while De Bruyne had room to walk into and no one closed it for the second. These two goals were enough to send the five-time champion home from Russia in 2018.
Tactical championship: Martinez made sure that his players had prepared their tactics well for the showdown and allowed them to take advantage of Brazil’s weaknesses through standard situations and counterattacks.
After the lead, the European team controlled the rest of the first half and created more chances. After the break, they managed to disrupt Brazil’s game plan and rely on breaks that could have brought more goals.
Who was the star?
While a fantastic collective effort made it difficult to pick just one Belgian player, Courtois was inspired from start to finish. The later adidas Golden Glove winner saved nine attempts from the Brazilians, and without the header of the unmarked Augusto, Courtois would have conceded one of his best performances of the tournament with a clean sheet.
Players Views
Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium midfielder
“We played a perfect first half; we scored twice and could’ve had more. Brazil improved in the second and we had to be confident and resolute in defence. I’m happy with my performance and with the goal I scored, which came as a result of our lightning counter-attack and Lukaku and Hazard managing to switch positions and create space.”
Roberto Martinez, Belgium coach
“When you play a side like Brazil, you face a huge psychological barrier. The yellow jersey and the five titles can undermine the confidence of any team, but our players believed in themselves, took risks and were able to deal with the game as it unfolded. I’m very proud of what they did today, particularly after Brazil cut the deficit. Everything could’ve changed but we maintained our focus and won the game.”
