Belgium struck early and then held off a late Brazil fightback to send the five-times champions tumbling out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage with a 2-1 victory in an end-to-end thriller on Friday.
A Fernandinho own goal and brilliant Kevin De Bruyne strike, after Thiago Silva had hit the post for Brazil, earned Belgium a date with neighbors France in St Petersburg on Tuesday, their second trip to the last four at a World Cup after 1986.
Almost against the run of play, Belgium went ahead in a bizarre manner when Brazilian defender Fernandinho scored an own goal from a corner to give Belgium 1-0 lead in the 13th minutes of the match. Talented K De Bruyne made it 2-0 for Belgium in 31st minutes of the play with a fierce shot.
Neymar ran at the Belgium defense until the end but had a second penalty appeal waved away by Serbian referee Milorad Mazic and a final shot tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois as the last few seconds ticked away.
The match saw Brazil players squandered at least a dozen clear-cut opportunities, only substitute Augusto gave Brazil a glimmer of hope with a header in the 76th minutes of the play (1-2).
Belgium led by goalkeeper Courtois frustrated Brazilian supporters with simply an extraordinary performance under the bar with innumerable saves.
