Brazil 2-1 Japan: Martinelli's stoppage-time winner completes comeback

Brazil survived a scare from Japan before Gabriel Martinelli's dramatic stoppage-time winner sent Carlo Ancelotti's side into the World Cup last 16 with a 2-1 victory in Houston. Kaishu Sano, already on a yellow card, gave Japan a shock lead in the 29th minute, exploiting a poor Danilo pass to breeze past Casemiro and finish from the edge of the box.

Brazil dominated possession but could not find an equalizer until the 56th minute, when Casemiro headed home at the far post from a Gabriel Martinelli cross, having missed a sitter just three minutes earlier. Vinicius Jr then thought he had won it with a driving solo run, only for Zion Suzuki to palm his effort onto the post.

Japan held firm deep into stoppage time, threatening to force extra time and denying their first-ever World Cup knockout win, until Bruno Guimaraes played Martinelli through in the 90+5th minute. The Arsenal forward poked the ball past Suzuki to snatch a dramatic victory.

Ancelotti called it the most complete game his side have played at the tournament, praising how Brazil overcame Japan's resistance in the second half. Brazil advanced to face the winner of Ivory Coast vs Norway in the round of 16.