Brazil were staring down the barrel of a shock last 32 exit when trailing at half-time to Japan, but turned around in the second half and won 2-1 via dramatic stoppage-time winner from Gabriel Martinelli. Manager Carlo Ancelotti stuck to his guns and it paid off, with Casemiro grabbing the crucial equaliser after a torrid first-half, and substitute Martinelli sealing the victory.
Norway are proving their worth as one of the World Cup's dark horses, advancing to the last 16 with a late victory of their own against Ivory Coast. Erling Haaland - who else - grabbed the winner and the Manchester City striker is one of the tournament's true superstars. It's the third time The Vikings have made it this far in a World Cup, with the last time coming in 1998, when they famously beat Brazil 2-1 in the group stages.
It's a mouth-watering tie which could go either way, but we think Brazil will just about have enough quality to edge it. Gabriel will relish going up against his old rival Haaland, while Bruno Guimaraes is increasingly influential in midfield and has the tournament's second most assists with four.
Vinicius Junior has been dazzling defenders throughout the World Cup, and while Haaland is well supported by the likes of Martin Odegaard and Antonio Nusa, there is also Brazil's World Cup heritage to take into account. There was certainly a dose of that against Japan, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see it again here. We're predicting a 2-1 win for Brazil against Norway.
