A late burst which produced two goals sent Belgium through to the last 16 of the World Cup today with an edge-of-the-seat 3-2 win over Group H rivals Russia.
Belgium will now take on favourites Brazil in Kobe on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Belgians needed the three points after drawing their first two matches whereas the Russians could have advanced with a draw.
But having come back from a goal down Russia were stunned by Belgium's finale.
With the scores level at 1-1 Wesley Sonck, a 70th-minute substitute for Mbo Mpenza, climbed above Dimitri Khokhlov to head past Russian keeper Ruslan Nigmatullin following a left-wing corner by Johan Walem after 78 minutes.
Midfielder Marc Wilmots then drove home his third goal of the tournament four minutes later to seal the win in a match which had threatened to run away from the 'Red Devils'.
Dmitri Sychev pulled back a last-gasp consolation for Russia in the 88th minute but he and his colleagues were unable to wrest the draw as the joyous Belgians embraced and leapt on each other at the final whistle.
Walem had broken the deadlock after just seven minutes with a brilliant freekick - but Russia replied through Vladimir Beschastnykh seven minutes after the restart.
AFP