World Cup 2018: 5 best goals from the Round of 16

#4: Takashi Inui – Japan vs. Belgium

Belgium v Japan: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia — Takashi Inui's piledriver against Belgium was simply unstoppable and gave Japan their second goal

Coming into their tie against highly-rated Belgium, nobody was really giving Japan much of a chance. After all, they’d only qualified for the Round of 16 due to picking up less bookings than Senegal. So the football world was shocked when Genki Haraguchi gave them the lead early in the second half. Little did everyone know that an even better Japanese goal was just around the corner.

Just four minutes after Haraguchi’s goal, Japan sent a ball into the Belgian box that was cleared by Vincent Kompany, only for the ball to fall to Shinji Kagawa. The Borussia Dortmund star controlled the ball before rolling it back to Takashi Inui of Real Betis, and the winger then unleashed a right-footed piledriver that flew past Thibaut Courtois and into the net.

It was a phenomenal strike that left the Chelsea keeper with no chance – even his 6’6” frame at full stretch couldn’t reach the shot. It was Inui’s second goal of the tournament following his equaliser against Senegal and his 6th for Japan, but the likelihood of him delivering one this good again on this kind of stage has to be considered minimal.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Zeeshan Ali