Monday's Round of 16 match-up between Belgium and Japan at the Rostov Arena possesses all the elements to be classified as the most entertaining encounter at Russia 2018. After a relatively dull first-half, the thriller received a major boost when Genki Haraguchi' drew first blood for the Blue Samurai. However, his feat was eclipsed a four minutes later by Takashi Inui's stunner.
With the Belgians seemingly heading for the exit door, they were phenomenally set on their historic path when Jan Vertongen pulled one goal back via a rather ingenious header. Five minutes later, substitute Marouane Fellaini repaid Roberto Martinez's faith by taking the game to level pegging with yet another headed goal.
The allegory of West Germany beating England 3-2 in the 1970 World Cup and subsequently becoming the only team in World Cup's history to have completed a comeback from two goals down had its curtains torn right through in the late minutes of Monday's nerve-shredding clash.
With most fans getting prepped up for a possble extra-time, a quick counter-attack instigated by Thibaut Courtois ushered a brilliant exchange of passes and movements which starred De Bruyne, Meunier and Lukaku before substitute Nacer Chadli put the nail in the coffin in the last major action of the breathtaking encounter.
Belgium 3-2 Japan. What a goal! What a horrible way to go out of the World Cup! Nacer Chadli sends Belgium through to the quarter-finals with a last-gasp goal #rtesoccer #worldcup #BEL #JPN pic.twitter.com/ggWONgcic5
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) July 2, 2018