Belgium vs Japan, As It Happened

Another World Cup classic. Got to feel for Japan here as they played ever so well to push Belgium until he end. You don't get the favourites tag just like that though. Belgium showed immense spirit to fight back and boy did they have to dig deep!

Belgium vs Brazil it is then! What a night!

Until next time, this is Amit Mishra signing off!

Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! FULL-TIME! Belgium 3-2 Japan!

UFF! Courtois gets the ball from the corner and rolls it out to De Bruyne. KDB does what he does best! A surging run down the middle and Meunier makes a good run on the right. KDB's pass is perfect and Meunier receives the ball in his stride to pick out Lukaku. But Lukaku ain't having it and dummies for Chadli to tap it in! Late drama!

A counter attack of the highest damn order!

90+4' GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! CHADLI! THE WINNER!

90+4' COURTOIS SAVES! From 40 damn yards, Honda tries to curl one in and it nearly happened! Corner!

90+3' Honda on the dead ball here...

90+2' Foul by Kompany on Osako. A tackle from behind and deep in the Belgian half. Will we get a late goal?

90+1' Belgium get the corner away but can't quite break as Kagawa is there to collect the loose ball and pass it back...

Four minutes to be added on...

90' Nagatomo troubles the Belgian defence and his cross is deflected off Witsel for Courtois to make the parried save! Corner to Japan!

89' Chadli! Channels his inner Trezeguet! Jeez, the guy is tall but showed good movement to dart in on the left. In the end, he is double teamed by the Japanese defence...

88' Meunier again has the chance to find a cross after a good move by De Bruyne to drift in centrally and lay it off for the wingback. The cross is overhit! Lukaku was there to be picked out!

87' Vertonghen now tests Kawashima! Jeez! The keeper is having a blinder! Fellaini was there to pick up the loose ball but had drifted offside!

86' Stunning double save by Kawashima to first deny Chadli and then Lukaku! Meunier's cross for Chadli was excellent and he made good use of his height to test the keeper. The rebound fell on the left and Chadli reacted well to get back up and cross it for Lukaku! His bullet of a header is tipped over the bar by Kawashima!

85' Belgium decide to keep the ball for a while. Fellaini drifts wide to put a cross in, yes, Fellaini! It's cleared and Belgium win the loose ball again...

83' JEEZ, HONDA! Beautiful reverse pass by Kagawa to pick out Honda who drifted to the left to make the run in behind Alderweireld. His shot is just wide as Belgium get away with one...

82' Sakai did well to find space on the right after Kagawa and Honda did well to keep it on the right. But Sakai's control let's him down. Just took his eye off the ball as Belgium get a throw in...

81' Substitutions for Japan

Haraguchi is OFF
Shibasaki is OFF
Honda is ON
Yamaguchi is ON

80' Corner to Belgium as KDB puts a looping cross for the duo of Kompany and Vertonghen. The resulting looping header is just wide!

79' UFF, KDB! Does well on the left to keep the ball under pressure and find a man in midfield to maintain the Belgian possession hold...

78' Kagawa had the chance to shoot but decides to take a touch and find Osako in the box. The chance is gone as Osako didn't read it and Courtois comes out to collect it...

77' Belgium have come back big alright. Literally. Their presence in the box is frightening with those big men who sure know how to leap! All the momentum with them here...

76' INUI again! Nearly! Should've take the shot in the first time of asking but he delayed it and it is blocked by Alderweireld. Nagatomo picks the loose ball and smashes it across the face of goal!

Hazard did really well to first cut in and then flick it the other way. Cross with his left foot? Perfect! His delivery is headed from a couple of yards as he leaps above Hasebe! 2-2! Amazing!

74' GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! Fellaini! 2-2!

73' From one end to the other! Sweeping move by the Belgians and Meunier in particular. His pass to find Hazard on the left was neat and Hazard cut in to find KDB at the edge of the box. His shot is deflected by Shoji for a corner!

72' UFF! Nagatomo with a brilliant cross from the left that is well intercepted by Alderweireld. Osako was there to tap it in! Corner!

That was a very messy goal and Japan have only themselves to blame. Kawashima half cleared the corner with a weak punch and the ball was put back into the box by Kompany. Vertonghen in the end headed it in from a narrow angle that was hard to save. A looping header. A keeper's nightmare!

70' GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! Vertonghen pulls one back!

69' Yoshida with a brilliant block to deny Lukaku a tap in! Wonderful ball by Meunier at the near post. Corner to Belgium...

68' Japan nearly mess it up in midfield but react well to regain the ball...

67' Corner to Japan as Meunier ran it out of play while trying to control it. Inui's cross in the end is too long after playing it short. Haraguchi was there at the far post but the cross wasn't good enough

66' A lot of height, but why would you take Mertens off? He was doing pretty well there. Chadli will provide the width on the left.

65' Substitutions for Belgium

Carrasco is OFF
Mertens is OFF
Fellaini is ON
Chadli is ON

64' OH HARAGUCHI! Beautiful play by Kagawa and Sakai and the latter's pass into the box is fizzed in well. Kompany clears and it ricochets off Haraguchi for a goalkick! That was dangerously close to going in!

63' Belgium try to start again from the back but the Japanese are good defensively and intercept Meunier's pass. Hazard picks the loose ball but his pass is intercepted by Nagatomo...

62' LUKAKU! How did he miss that?!?! Beautiful cross by Meunier as Kawashima couldn't come for it and it was way too good for Shoji to defend. Lukaku made the run at the near post and heads it wide after trying to head it into the far post!

60' Lukaku gets the Shibasaki delivery away but it falls for Hasebe who tries to keep the heat on. De Bruyne intercepts and launches it forward, but to no mans land as Kawashima watches it roll out for a goalkick. The Belgians are so rattled here...

59' UFF! Witsel wasn't sure of what he did there. Good cross from Sakai into the box and Witsel just gets his head on it for a corner!

59' Japan are knocking it around so well in the midfield now without an iota of pressure on them...

58' Japan just need to stifle Belgium now. Of course, chances will come, but that Japanese defence has been pretty solid. Chants of Russia Russia now audible at the stadium. Why not? Its been a stunning World Cup so far...

56' Carrasco with a wild shot from the edge of the box that is way over the bar and into row-z. Jeez the men in red are nervy now...

55' Japan again with half a chance at the edge of the box but this time, Inui tries too much and it's away by Witsel. He tries to maraud forward, but his pass to Lukaku is intercepted by Shibasaki!

54' Belgium have a real game on their hands now and the Japanese counter attack threat to deal with as well...they seem shellshocked!

HOLY MOLY WHAT A HIT! Inui couldn't have struck that any better! A long pass into the box is cleared by Vertonghen but it falls well for Kagawa who's control is excellent. He flicks it and picks out Inui. Didn't expect a shot, but he just shifts it to his right and curls one past Courtois!

53' GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! INUI! WHAT A HIT! 2-0 to Japan!

52' Japan are suddenly finding so much space as Shibasaki nearly picks out Osako with another pass. Just couldn't take it in his stride!

51' Meunier with a teasing cross into the box that is collected well by Kawashima who read it well. Japan now break forward again...

50' Hazard HITS THE POST! Mertens did well to wriggle free on the right and his delightfully weighed pass to Hazard was hit well by the Chelsea man. But it just didn't have enough shape and hits the post! Amazing!

Belgium vs Japan, As It Happened

Belgium vs Japan, Live Score and Commentary, World Cup 2018