The Japanese national team came within half an hour away from pulling off one of the more shocking results of the Word Cup on Monday. Japan held what seemed to be a convincing 2-0 lead in the second half before the talented Belgians stormed back to take control of the game in the final seconds. Despite struggling throughout the entire match, Belgium regained its group stage form, scoring three goals in the final 25 minutes to earn a 3-2 victory. Nacer Chadli scored in the 94th minute, the final minute of stoppage time, to complete the comeback and send Roberto Martinez's team to the quarterfinals, where it will face Brazil. The game came alive after a scoreless first half that say plenty of chances for each team. Belgium was a bit sloppy while Japan's defense was able to give the favorites problems when it came to playing the ball over the top. And then, Japan found a breakthrough, twice. Genki Haraguchi scored a fine opener in the box on 48 minutes before Takashi Inui made it 2-0 four minutes later with this golazo: The hour-mark passed, and as we neared closer to the 70th minute, Belgium needed a spark. And it got it with this miraculous header from Jan Vertonghen in the 69th minute: Then another header, five minutes later, equalized things thanks to floppy-haired Marouane Fellaini: Belgium continued to push for a winner but was denied by some fine saves from Eiji Kawashima until it pulled off one of the most lethal counterattacks of the cup. Belgium defended a Japan corner kick in the 94th minute, and left everyone in the dust, with Romelu Lukaku's dummy falling right to Chadli for the dramatic winner: That was something else. And it now produces the dream matchup of Brazil vs. Belgium. Japan deserved more and put together a performance few thought it could, but in the end Belgium's talent was just too much. Brazil and Belgium will play on Friday at 2 p.m. ET. You can stream every World Cup match on fuboTV (Try for free). Relive commentary from Monday's Belgium vs. Japan match If the live blog doesn't load properly, click here.<doc-sep>This is the World Cup that keeps on giving, keeps on enthralling, keeps on producing story lines that will still be told years from now. Belgium looked like being the latest big name, tipped to make waves in Russia, brought back down to size with an almighty jolt by a relative minnow. Trailing 2-0, after two Japan goals inside four minutes early in a second half that the first had left us hopelessly unprepared for, a golden generation suddenly stood on the brink of another ignominious failure, braced for more headlines about bottlers and manager Roberto Martinez gearing up to collect his P45. And then two Belgium substitutes were introduced to dazzling effect and a game that had threatened to spark a brutal inquest back in Belgium instead became a story about a jaw-dropping comeback, deep wells of character and a couple of inspired changes from Martinez. A quarter-final against Brazil in Kazan on Friday could now prove a humdinger, although it had appeared a distant dream before Jan Vertonghen atoned for an error for Japan’s opening goal to kickstart this remarkable fightback, culminating in a goal for Nacer Chadli with seconds left on the clock that was worthy of winning any match, and a fitting denouement to a quite extraordinary encounter.<doc-sep>Belgium scored a last-gasp winner to beat Japan on Monday and set up a World Cup quarter-final against Brazil. The match looked set for extra-time after goals from Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini cancelled out efforts from Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui. But as the seconds ticked down, Belgium poured forward and Nacer Chadli grabbed a dramatic winner. Belgium, who made 10 changes for the match, were by far the better side but Japan defended doggedly and threatened on the break as they seek to reach a World Cup quarter-final for the first time. The winner of the knockout match in Rostov will face Brazil, who earlier beat Mexico 2-0, in a quarter-final in Kazan on Friday. As expected, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez made wholesale changes from the side that beat England 1-0 in the group stages. He reverted mainly to the same starting line-up that thrashed Tunisia 5-2, with Manchester City defender Kompany as the only new addition, in for Dedryck Boyata at centre-back. Striker Romelu Lukaku, who has scored four goals so far in Russia, returned to lead Belgium's star-studded attack. Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Kevin De Bruyne were restored in a powerful midfield after being rested against England. Japan coach Akira Nishino also revamped his starting line-up after the 1-0 defeat to Poland in the group stages. (Highlights: Belgium vs Japan) Highlights Between Belgium vs Japan, 2018 FIFA World Cup, straight from Rostov Arena Rostov-On-Don 01:24 IST: FT: Belgium 3-2 Japan. Thank you for joining us on all the action, until next time, it's goodbye! 01:22 IST: GOAL! High quality counter-attack from Belgium, Lukaku plays a dummy as Chadli in space behind unmarked, makes no mistake to tuck it away for a goal. 01:20 IST: Free-kick for Japan in the 93rd minute, came off a Kompany foul. Honda strucks a brilliant one but Courtois keeps it out. Japan have a corner but Courtois catches it and initiates a counter-attack. 01:18 IST: 4 minutes added! Japan have a corner. But the ball has been tucked away by the Belgian defence. 01:13 IST: DOUBLE SAVE! 35-year-old Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima keeps first Chadli and then Lukaku out -- both from a close range header. 86 minutes played! 01:11 IST: Honda makes a lovely run inside the box, from a through ball but the ball hits the side-netting. 01:10 IST: Japan have brought in Keisuke Honda to replace Haraguchi in the 81st minute. 01:06 IST: Belgium have the tempo, momentum of the match. We have seen 4 shots on target in the second-half, all on corner. Meanwhile, it's a corner for Belgium -- Kompany's header has been tucked away. Goal kick for Japan! 01:01 IST: GOAL! Fellaini puts Belgium level, through a brilliant cross delivered by Eden Hazard. After 74 minutes Belgium 2-2 Japan. 00:59 IST: Inui from the left flank finds Nagatomo ahead of him, who delivers a cross but Osako's shot has been denied. This is beginning to become a thriller of a contest. 00:57 IST: GOAL! An astonishing header from Jan Vertonghen pulls one back for Belgium, Japan failed to clear their lines, paid the price. Belgium 1-2 Japan. 00:55 IST: Sloppy from Japan in the midfield, Witsel finds Fellaini on the right flank the cross comes in for Lukaku but well blocked by the Yoshida to keep his shot out. 68 minutes have been played. 00:52 IST: Double Substitution for Belgium, Fellaini steps in place of Mertens while Chadli replaces Carrasco in the 65th minute. 00:50 IST: Romelu Lukaku misses a chance from close range, his header goes wide off target from a cross well delivered by Vertonghen on the 61st minute. 00:40 IST: GOAAAL! Takashi Inui scores a blinder from outside the box. Belgium in trouble. After 52 minutes, Belgium 0-2 Japan. Japan have now scored more goals in the ongoing World Cup then they have ever done in any other World Cup. 00:38 IST: Eden Hazard hits the POST, on the counter. 00:35 IST: GOAL! Genki Haraguchi puts Japan in the lead, 48th minute. Gets past Jan Vertonghen through an excellent through ball to break the deadlock. Belgium 0-1 Japan. 00:33 IST: Japan gets the second-half underway. Neither side have made any changes in the half-time. 00:15 IST: One minute added for the half-time. It remains Belgium 0-0 Japan at half-time as the referee blows the whistle. 00:14 IST: Courtois spills it, after Nagamoto plays a ball throw the left wing to find Osako who gets a touch as the goalkeeper grabs the ball on the second attempt. 00:09 IST: Eden Hazard brought down by Shibasaki as he collects the first yellow card of the evening. 40 minutes through, still goalless. 00:06 IST: Hazard shoots from inside the box, BLOCKED! Yoshida does well to keep the Chelsea star out. 36 minutes on the clock. 00:05 IST: Belgium stretched for a few seconds, Japan initiate an attack from the right flank, make a cross but lose the ball, quite easily. 00:01 IST: Shinji Kagawa does well inside the box, to get past the Belgian defenders, crosses the ball but the header straight into the hand of Thibaut Courtois 23:58 IST: Japan trying to play long balls, only to lose away the ball with ease to Belgium. 30 minutes on the clock. 23:55 IST: Chance for Belgium in the 25th minute, off a fine cross which locates Lukaku in space but Yoshida does well to keep him out. Constant threat from Belgium! 23:53 IST: Belgium have set the tempo, Japan forced to play on the defence. Lukaku from the right flank switches play Carrasco tries to play the ball to Hazard but the link-up play fails, the ball was a bit to heavy. 23:50 IST: Romelu Lukaku in space, takes a shot, unmarked but the defender does well to keep him out. CORNER for Belgium! Kevin de Bruyne takes it but the ball is safely cleared away by the Japan defence. 23:45 IST: Axel Witsel takes a shot from outside the box, deflected for CORNER!<doc-sep>Society Japan fell prey to a well-oiled Belgian machine Belgium's midfielder Nacer Chadli (centre) scores his team's winning goal past Japan's goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima (left) during the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between Belgium and Japan at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on July 2, 2018. AFP PHOTO Summary Japan, fresh from the half time break and against expectations, had gone two nil up with brilliantly taken goals. The team was on course for a stunning upset until Belgium equalised through substitute, Marouane Fellaini. Japan, for all their valiance and hard work, conceded a goal with 19 seconds left of the match to go. The 2018 World Cup is not short on surprises and drama and Japan vs Belgium on Monday was certainly one of those matches that will stay for long in the memories of many. Japan, fresh from the half time break and against expectations, had gone two nil up with brilliantly taken goals. The team was on course for a stunning upset until Belgium equalised through substitute, Marouane Fellaini. Belgium's first goal was a lucky header that looped into the net. That was enough to set them on the path to redemption. The match had four minutes of injury time added. Three minutes had already lapsed when Japan got a corner. The ball was whipped in and Belgium's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, came out and jumped to claim it. What happened next was delightful to watch and is a lesson in how a well-oiled machine and harmonious mindsets get the job done. When the corner was struck, there were eight Belgian players in the D defending, besides the goalkeeper, against four Japanese players. Left wing Two Japanese players, one of them the taker of the corner, were on the left wing. Belgium's other sub, Nacer Chadli, was in the D keeping an eye on Takashi Inui, a Japanese midfielder who was ready to pounce on any rebound. Once the ball was in Courtois' hands, Chadli instinctively started running with Inui next to him. Courtois first glanced to his left, then to his right and in that split second, opted to roll the ball to Kevin De Bruyne. His quick thinking meant that by the time he released the ball to his teammate, five Japanese players were already behind it, almost half the team. When De Bruyne made his first of only four touches, Inui had already fallen behind the ball though he was running back to help defend. Chadli, with a fresh pair of legs, clearly outpaced Inui. Gen Shoji, a Japanese defender, was right behind De Bruyne when the Belgian received the ball and run fast to deal with the looming threat. The only problem was that the ball was kept tantalizingly ahead of him. Shinji Kagawa, an experienced midfielder, was on the right of De Bruyne when Courtois initiated the pacy counter-attack. Rather than run parallel to De Bruyne and mark Thomas Meunier, Kagawa opted to run diagonally towards De Bruyne, which meant that Meunier was left all alone on the right. Eden Hazard was an option for Belgium on the left of the field but with his tired legs, Chadli had overtaken him before getting into the final third of the field. Halfway mark Just after the halfway mark, Hotaru Yamaguchi, a midfielder, stood his ground to block De Bruyne, prompting the Belgian to pass to Meunier on the right. As Meunier got to the ball, only two Japanese players were behind it, defender Yuto Nagatomo and midfielder, Makoto Hasebe. Nagatomo drifted towards Meunier while Hasebe stayed with Romelu Lukaku. Chadli was totally unmarked and when Meunier crossed the ball, Lukaku, in what can only be described as a genius move, dummied and let the ball through knowing that Chadli was behind him. Chadli did not need a second invitation and slotted the ball home with his left foot, well beyond the outstretched arms of Eiji Kawashima. The goalkeeper was in a good position to block Lukaku's shot had he been the one to make the attempt on goal. For sprinting all the way from the opposition's D to his own, Shoji made it less than a second too late and his lunge saw him collide with his own keeper. During the counter, Kagawa and Inui peeled off, tired and sensing that the ball was too far ahead of them. Conceded goal Japan, for all their valiance and hard work, had conceded a goal with 19 seconds left of the match to go. It took just six touches for the ball to get from Courtois to the back of the net. The goalkeeper knew exactly what he needed to do when he got the ball from the corner, and so did De Bruyne, Meunier, Chadli and Lukaku. The result, heartbreak for the Japanese and a morale boost for the Belgians that could carry them to the final, all in the space of just 12 seconds.<doc-sep>
ODD ANDERSEN/Getty Images Belgium secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with a dramatic 3-2 win over Japan on Monday at the Rostov Arena in Russia. Goals from Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui had put Japan ahead 2-0, but Belgium hit back through Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini before Nacer Chadli won it in the 94th minute. Belgium Exposed as Overrated World Cup Darlings Belgium were expected to make light work of Japan but instead found themselves on the brink of a huge shock after going 2-0 down after 52 minutes. Japan got their tactics spot-on and deservedly took the lead after defending well, pressing Belgium and taking their chances when they came. In contrast Belgium flattered to deceive and created little initially despite the presence of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku in the starting lineup. Goal's Carlo Garganese offered his view on De Bruyne: Video Play Button Videos you might like Vertonghen was guilty of some sloppy defending for Japan's opener, and he was a little fortunate to pull one back with a header that looped over goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima. Football writer Tom Williams offered his view of the goal: The goal gave Belgium momentum, and Roberto Martinez's substitutes, Chadli and Fellaini, also had an impact as Belgium were more direct in the closing stages. Fellaini headed home Hazard's cross off a corner, and as Japan tired, the Red Devils began to dominate. A late De Bruyne surge found Thomas Meunier, whose cross was tapped home by Chadli to seal the win. It completed the comeback for Belgium but will do little to dismiss their reputation of underachievers. Martinez has one of the strongest squads in the tournament to choose from, but the feeling remains that he is not getting the best out of his players. Neymar, Brazil Will Love Their Chances to Reach Semi-finals Belgium will go on to face Brazil for a place in the semi-finals, and Neymar's team will have enjoyed watching Belgium toil against Japan. The Selecao had earlier beaten Mexico 2-0, with Neymar scoring and assisting as he gets closer to full match fitness. He only recently returned to action after a lengthy injury lay-off before the World Cup. Oliver Kay at the Times offered his view of the quarter-final: Belgium will need to sharpen up defensively as Brazil have considerable options in attack with Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Willian, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino. The Selecao may also look to exploit Yannick Carrasco, who has been playing at left wing-back for Belgium. Dermot Corrigan at ESPN FC shared his view of the winger as a defender: Brazil look strong defensively as they have only conceded one goal in the tournament. Selecao Brasileira explained why they are so solid at the back: Tite's side are favourites to lift the World Cup, and on evidence, they have little to fear from a flawed Belgium team who are less than the sum of their parts. Japan's Display Cements World Cup as One of History's Greatest The 2018 World Cup has already seen its fair share of upsets, with defending champions Germany having been dumped out in the group stages and Spain shocked by Russia in the last 16. Japan made it to the knockout phase courtesy of having a better disciplinary record than Senegal and were widely expected to be comfortably beaten by Belgium's star-studded squad. However, they took a shock lead through Haraguchi after 48 minutes and managed to double that lead through Inui just four minutes later. Belgium looked set for a big upset but managed to respond and level it up through headers from Vertonghen and Fellaini. Football writers were quick to share their thoughts on the tournament: There was still time for more drama as a late counter-attack deep into stoppage time saw Chadli win it with the last kick of the match. The game is the latest chapter in one of the most unpredictable World Cups in history and one that has provided huge entertainment, goals and unexpected results. The 2018 World Cup is widely regarded as being one of the most open tournaments for some time. Brazil are the favourites but all of the teams left in the competition will harbour hopes of winning, and it would be little surprise if there were a few more shocks along the way. What's Next Belgium will take on Brazil on Friday at the Kazan Arena.