Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium Shock Brazil, Qualify for FIFA World Cup Semi-Finals

Brazil's run at the 2018 FIFA World Cup came to an end on Friday, as Belgium beat the Selecao 2-1 in the quarter-finals in Kazan, Russia. 

The Selecao entered the tournament as the top favourites for the title but had yet to face a class outfit like Belgium, and the Red Devils came out on top to set up a semi-final date with France. For Belgium, it's their second ever trip to the semi-finals.

Fernandinho opened the scoring with an own-goal and Kevin De Bruyne doubled the lead in the first half. Renato Augusto pulled one back, but the Selecao did not find a second goal.

Here are the key points from Friday's match.

De Bruyne, Lukaku Prove Clutch Credentials

De Bruyne easily ranks among the most talented players in the entire tournament―let alone Belgium's squad―but the midfielder hadn't been at his best for the Red Devils in a long time, dating all the way back to the loss against Wales at Euro 2016.

His tournament had been a mediocre one until the crucial counter-attack at the end of the match against Japan, where he orchestrated a late winner. It was a huge moment for a key player, and he repeated that feat against Brazil with a stunning goal on a similar break. Romelu Lukaku also played his part on that break, part of a fantastic outing for the lone striker:

Like Lukaku, De Bruyne has now come up big when his nation needed him the most multiple times this tournament. It's personal redemption for the Manchester City man but also shows how several players in this team have matured in the last few years.

You can't become world champions without a few elite, clutch players, and for the first time since Belgium emerged as a class side, the Red Devils seem to have several options. 

Roberto Martinez Finds His Ideal XI with Brilliant Tactical Tweaks

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez made a big call by starting Nacer Chadli and Marouane Fellaini in favour of Yannick Carrasco and Dries Mertens, and moving De Bruyne one row forward. Fans had been clamoring to see the City man in attack all tournament long, but the introductions of Chadli and Fellaini were risky, to say the least.

Those decisions paid off in a massive way, however. Fellaini had a phenomenal outing against Brazilian star Neymar, and Chadli also did his defensive duties, where Carrasco has struggled in the past.

Pundits couldn't believe how the Red Devils as a team shut down Brazil's main danger men:

It was far from perfect, but Belgium did enough to book their spot in the semi-finals. It was a tactical masterclass from Martinez, who has easily been among the best coaches in the tournament this year.

Brazilian Midfield's Ghastly Performance Proves Casemiro Essential

Without the suspended Casemiro, Brazil turned to the duo of Fernandinho and Paulinho, and both fell well short of the expectations. The former scored the opener past his own goalkeeper and couldn't deal with Lukaku throughout the first half, and the latter never managed to link up well between the defence and attack.

Brazil never got going until the introduction of Augusto, who showed far more creativity and gave Philippe Coutinho the opportunity to slide a little farther forward and help in attack. By that time, the score was already 2-0, however, and Belgium's huge advantage in size and strength meant they could shut down the middle.

With Casemiro, things might have been different, but manager Tite should have known better and gone with Augusto from the start.

What's Next?

Belgium and France will meet on Tuesday.