Brazil vs Japan

Brazil avoided a major World Cup shock with a dramatic stoppage-time winner from Gabriel Martinelli, beating Japan 2-1 at NRG Stadium in Houston to reach the Round of 16. Japan, the surprise package of the group stage after their record-breaking 4-0 win over Tunisia, took a deserved lead through Kaishu Sano's 29th-minute strike and threatened to add a famous knockout-stage scalp to their tournament. Casemiro pulled Brazil level just after the hour mark, but it took until the fifth minute of stoppage time for Martinelli to finally find the breakthrough that sent the Seleção through. Breakout star Keito Nakamura, who became one of the social media sensations of the group stage after his equaliser against the Netherlands, gave everything in a battling Japanese performance that came agonisingly close to another famous result. For Brazil, the win sets up a Round of 16 meeting with the winner of Ivory Coast vs Norway, with questions still lingering over whether Carlo Ancelotti's side have fully found their rhythm despite reaching the knockout rounds.