Belgium's golden generation eliminate Brazil to set up heavyweight semi-final clash with France

July 7, 2018

Relive 1 NEWS NOW's coverage of the 2018 Football World Cup from Russia.

8:03am

What a game, what a tournamet for Belgium! Both remaining South American teams have been sent home, meaning the 2018 champions will be European once more.

That'll be all from us today, we'll be back tomorrow morning for the final two quarter-finals, with England against Sweden, and Croatia taking on hosts Russia.

7:54am: FULLTIME - Brazil 1 Belgium 2

Corner for Belgium. Hazard and De Bruyne play it short, looking to run the clock down. Brazil win it back, but that'll be fulltime! Belgium win it! They go through to the semi-finals!

7:52am: 90+5 mins - Brazil 1 Belgium 2

Huge chance for Brazil! Neymar curls one for the top corner, but Courtois gets a hand to the ball to force a corner. Last real chance you feel for Brazil. The header goes over the bar though. One minute left.

7:49am: 90+2 mins - Brazil 1 Belgium 2

Brazil claim a penalty, Neymar the "victim", challenge from Meunier. The referee checks upstairs with the VAR, nothing given.

7:47am: 90 mins - Brazil 1 Belgium 2

Brazil throwing everything forward now, but Belgium's defence holds firm. Kompany heads out Marcelo's cross before Tielemans is bought down on the counter. There'll be five minutes of added time.

7:42am: 85 mins - Brazil 1 Belgium 2

Firmino slips Neymar through down the left, he dribbles to the edge of the area before pulling the ball back for Coutino to strike, his shot sails well over the bar though.

7:40am: 83 mins - Brazil 1 Belgium 2

Chadli goes down injured, and Belgium prepare to bring on Thomas Vermaelen as a substitute, switching to a five man defence.

7:33am: 76 mins - Brazil 1 Belgium 2

GOAL!!!  Douglas Costa sprints downt he right and gets a shot away - Courtois saves. Neymar is there for the follow up, but Kompany blocks. The ball ends up wide on the left with Coutinho, who chips into the box for Renato Augusto who scores! Brazil finally break through, but will it be too little too late?

7:27am: 70 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Lukaku surges forward down the right hand side, beating Miranda for pace, but he can't catch up with the ball.

7:20am: 63 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Another Belgium counter. They break through Chadli, who finds De Bruyne, he's got Hazard and Lukaku ahead of him. He goes for Hazard, who shoots but the ball sails wide of the far post.

7:14am: 57 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Jesus goes through Vertonghen's legs, but Kompany takes him out. The referee wants to check for a penalty with the VAR, was the ball still in play at the time of the foul? No penalty.

7:11am: 54 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Neymar goes down in the area pleading for the VAR, but the referee's unmoved. Jesus now looking like he's playing from the right looks to force his way into the box, but Belgium hold firm. Coutinho tries a through ball for Firmino, but Belgium clear again.

7:07am: 50 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Firmino and Neymar slice Belgium apart, only for Kompany to save the day at the back and start a counter. De Bruyne finds Lukaku, who runs from the right and looks to cut onto his left foot, but Miranda is there to bail Brazil out of any trouble.

7:03am: 46 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Belgium get the ball rolling in the second half.

7:01am

Belgium looking determined in the tunnel, they're 45 minutes away from the semi-final. Brazil meanwhile appear to have made a change, with Roberto Firmino emerging out onto the pitch after the break, not sure who he's replaced just yet, word coming through that he'll take Willian's place.

6:47am: HALFTIME - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

What a first half. Attacking flair from both sides, with Belgium taking their chances to lead 2-0 at the break. Brazil aren't completely out of it, but they'll need to be much better in the second spell to have a chance of getting out of this and into the semi-finals.

6:42am: 42 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Free kick in a dangerous position for Belgium. De Bruyne and Hazard stand over it. De Bruyne shoots, but Allison gets up to tip over the bar. Corner for Belgium.

Chadli takes, he finds Kompany who gets another flick on, but Allison saves.

6:40am: 40 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

Coutinho wins a corner after another rocket is saved by Courtois. Belgium clear but Brazil still on the attack. Willian has the ball wide on the right, he finds Fernandinho who crosses in but Kompany clears.

Belgium counter again, Chadli with the ball wide on the left. Hazard finds De Bruyne on the edge of the area, but can't work an opening, the ball goes back to Courtois.

6:32am: 32 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 2

GOAL!!!  Corner for Brazil now, Willian to take again. Belgium clear the ball to Fernandinho who shoots, but its blocked. Neymar shoots on the follow up, deflected out for a corner. Neymar to take now. 

Miranda looks for the near post flick again, but Belgium counter! Lukaku runs before finding De Bruyne on the right - and he scores! De Bruyne belts in an absolute rocket and Allison has no chance! Belgium double their lead.

6:24am: 24 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 1

Corner for Belgium, De Bruyne to take. He's had an absolute shocker though, sending it curling away from the area, and Brazil regain possession.

6:20am: 20 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 1

Coutinho tries one of his trademark rockets from distance, but Courtois is up to the task and claims the ball.

6:13am: 13 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 1

GOAL!!!  Corner for Belgium now, plenty of big men in the area. Chadli to take, and its in! Kompany flicks it straight onto Fernandinho and he puts it past his own keeper! The 11th own goal of the tournament sees Belgium take the lead in Kazan.

6:11am: 11 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 0

Another Brazil corner, Willian to take. He finds Paulinho unmarked, but the shot is miscued. Belgium's defence looking shaky at the moment.

6:09am: 9 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 0

Marcelo wins a corner down the left flank, Brazil's first of the match. Miranda flicks on for Thiago Silva but he's hit the post! Belgium counter now, Lukaku finds De Bruyne in the box, he passes back to Hazard to shoot, but the shot is blocked.

6:07am: 7 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 0

Belgium looking silky on the ball, De Bruyne sends a cross field ball over the top for Meunier to head back to Lukaku, but Brazil intercept. Neymar goes down easily under the challenge from Fellaini.

6:03am: 3 mins - Brazil 0 Belgium 0

De Bruyne gets the ball from his club teammate Fernandhinho, getting a shot away on the edge of the area. Allison watches it go wide though.

6:00am: KICKOFF - Brazil 0 Belgium 0

We're away in the second quarter-final! Brazil get the ball rolling in Kazan.

5:51am

Both sides in the tunnel, kick off around 10 minutes away.

5:27am

Here are the final starting sides, with both teams making two changes from their round of 16 wins:

Brazil (4-3-3): 1. Allison (gk), 22. Fagner, 2. Thiago Silva, 3. Miranda (c), 12. Marcelo, 15. Paulinho, 17. Fernandinho, 11. Philippe Coutinho, 19. Willian, 9. Gabriel Jesus, 10. Neymar.

Belgium (3-4-3): 1. Thibaut Courtois (gk), 2. Toby Alderweireld, 4. Vincent Kompany, 5. Jan Vertonghen, 15. Thomas Meunier, 6. Axel Witsel, 8. Marouane Fellaini, 22. Nacer Chadli 7. Kevin De Bruyne, 9. Romelu Lukaku, 10. Eden Hazard (c).

5:19am

France have become the first side through to this year's semi-finals, defeating Uruguay 2-0 in Nizhny Novgorod, now we'll see who'll be their opponents, as Brazil and Belgium face off in Kazan.

Neither of these sides have looked at their best so far this tournament, however both pack enough star power to put on an absolute thriller here today.

For Belgium, three of their last four meetings against South American opposition have resulted in defeat, while Brazil have been eliminated by a European side in the last three editions of the World Cup - meaning we should be in for a cracker.

We'll have the final starting XIs for you shortly.

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