5.Hazard and De Bruyne were lightning quick in their counter-attacks:
Hazard was pivotal in the final minutes as he drew fouls and ran down the clock. De Bruyne was a danger whenever he was inside Brazil’s half. But it was the much-maligned Fellaini who should take a bow. The man with the big afro had always been ridiculed for his big hair, his limitations as a footballer and his penchant for a flying elbow. But it was his muscular approach that won the day for Belgium. He was focused on his task of breaking down Brazil’s moves and feeding his team-mates with a simple task. It was not glamorous but it certainly swung the result.
Five-time winners Brazil were left stunned, as Belgium’s famed ‘Golden Generation’ finally lived up to their potential– and they can go all the way in Russia.
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and United’s Romelu Lukaku were Belgium’s stand-out performers, combining for a quite stunning second goal, as Roberto Martinez’s side turned on the style in Kazan.
And the Manchester playmaker, which ran throughout this enthralling clash, saw City skipper Vincent Kompany engineer the opener.