World Cup 2018: 4 best semifinals in the history of the tournament 

#3 Brazil 1-7 Germany, 2014

This game will go down in Brazilian football history for all the wrong reasons

Belo Horizonte is now part of Brazilian folklore, and for all the wrong reasons. The venue for one of the 2014 World Cup semifinals was buzzing before the host nation took on Germany in what promised to be an epic clash.

The task was uphill for Brazil, especially with the silky Neymar out injured and defensive stalwart Thiago Silva suspended.

But the locals still had plenty of belief and were certain that their beloved national team would swat away the Germans, who hadn’t really hit top gear yet. Germany went into overdrive in this game.

It all started with one of Thomas Muller’s trademark tap-ins. This eleventh-minute strike initially seemed like it had woken up Brazil – Marcelo went on one of his rampaging runs and they enjoyed greater possession.

But all that goal did was open the floodgates for more. Within minutes, Miroslav Klose had doubled the German lead – he scored his record-breaking sixteenth World Cup goal.

That was followed up by two copybook goals from Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira – shambolic defending left open acres of space and Germany’s midfielders ran riot in a devastating five-minute spell.

Germany had a 5-0 lead with only half an hour gone. They had decimated a team and a nation.

Brazil was spineless at the back and toothless going forward, and it seemed as if the whole team was getting sucked into the Neymar-shaped hole they were playing with.

Germany added two more goals in the second half through Andre Schurrle to establish an improbable seven-goal lead in what was billed as a close match. Oscar pulled a goal back in stoppage time which was arguably the meekest consolation Brazil have ever scored.