Brazil easily beat South Korea 4-1 in their Round of 16 fixtures and have moved on to the quarterfinals. The five-time champions will take on the 2018 runner-up, Croatia, in their quarterfinals match on December 9. On the other hand, South Korea's Qatar World Cup journey ended in the last 16. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Brazil vs South Korea match report It was all but over in the first half when Brazil scored four goals against South Korea inside 36 minutes. From there, making a comeback was almost impossible for the Korean side. The South Korean side did score a goal in the 76th minute thanks to Paik Seung-Ho's shot outside the D-box, which beat the Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson. Read More: Brazil run riot against South Korea, 4-0 up inside 36 minutes In the second half, the Brazilian side was more in a defensive mindset with no proper intention of aggression. Coach Tite made some necessary changes as he wanted to give his key players some rest for the crucial quarterfinal encounter against Croatia. The Korean side understood that they were out of the contest after conceding four goals in the first half. Their main aim was to minimize the margin of defeat, but they were only able to score one goal and ultimately accepted a 4-1 defeat. Earlier in the first half, Brazil scored their first goal in the seventh minute as Vinicius Jr. opened the scoring. Six minutes later, Neymar Jr. doubled the lead through a well-taken penalty. Ricahrlison in the 29th minute and Lucas Paqueta in the 36th minute then scored the third and fourth goals for the Brazilian side, taking the game away from the South Korean side completely even before the end of the first half. Read More: Croatia beat Japan on penalties, progress to quarterfinals Aftermath After confirming their quarterfinal berth, Brazil will now have to turn their focus on Croatia, who will not be an easy opponent to beat. But the Selecao have sent a strong message to their rivals with a 4-1 victory over South Korea, indicating that they are more than ready to win their hexa in the Qatar World Cup 2022.

Superstar Neymar Jr. started for Brazil in their crucial Round of 16 encounter against South Korea at Stadium 974 - Ras Abu Aboud Stadium. His presence on the field has rejuvenated the Brazilian side, as they have dominated against South Korea, taking a 4-0 lead. Within seven minutes, the Selecao scored their first goal thanks to young Vinicius Jr.'s right-footed shot from the left side of the box to the right top corner. Six minutes later, South Korea conceded a penalty after Jung Woo-Young fouled Richarlison in the d-box area. Neymar Jr. stepped up and took the penalty, and his calm and composed finish put Brazil 2-0 up against South Korea in the 13th minute. Read More: Croatia beat Japan on penalties, progress to quarterfinals A few minutes later, Brazil scored again, this time through Richarlison, who put Brazil 3-0 up in the 29th minute after some nice teamwork. Lucas Paqueta then added the fourth goal for Brazil in the 36th minute, making the game completely out of South Korea’s hands. Brazil started the game with an attacking mindset in order to take an early lead, and they did find the net after a few minutes. South Korea, on the other hand, couldn't find enough time to regroup after conceding the first one. Rather, their defenders have struggled to tackle the talented Brazilian forwards. Read More: Qatar World Cup: Are Brazil and Japan favourites to meet in quarterfinals? Korea Republic now have to score four without conceding further to level the scoreline. The way Brazil have outclassed South Korea, it would be nearly impossible for them to make a comeback in the contest. The match is already done and dusted in favour of Brazil after scoring 4 goals just over half an hour time. 

Group G winner Brazil will take on Group H runner-up South Korea tonight in their Round of 16 fixtures. Group E winner Japan will play against Group F runner-up Croatia in their last-16 encounter. Five-time champions Brazil are considered favourites against South Korea, while Japan have emerged as a slight favourite against 2018 runner-up Croatia after their brilliant showing in the group phase. The winners of these two matches will meet in the quarter-finals, so Brazil and Japan can face off in the last eight of the Qatar World Cup. FIFA World Cup 2022: Brazil vs South Korea match preview The Brazilian campaign is in a bit of a crisis after Gabriel Jesus and Alex Tellas were both ruled out due to injury issues. However, Neymar Jr. will be back and most likely start the match for Brazil, which is big news for them. Read More: Unpredictable FIFA World Cup 2022: What we can expect more in the knockout roundsThere will be some major changes in the Brazilian starting XI, and coach Tite may deploy an attacking-minded eleven against South Korea to get an early lead in the contest. The formation could be 4-3-3, where Neymar will play the attacking midfield position to create chances for the forwards.South Korea, on the other hand, will likely deploy a defensive approach for the contest. Starman Son Heung-min hasn’t been in his usual form this World Cup, which is a big negative point for the Korean side. He needs to step up for his national side, and what better occasion could there be than the Brazil match to unleash his true potential?South Korea will likely play with two defensive midfielders in order to discard Brazil’s continuous attacking threat and try to find the equalizer through a counter-attack. But will their strategy work against the Selecao in order to keep them from scoring in 90 minutes? Prediction: Brazil will certainly start as hot favourite to win their Round of 16 match against South Korea, and the scoreline could be 3-1. Qatar World Cup 2022: Japan vs Croatia match preview Japan surprised everyone after securing its place in the Round of 16 as the winner of Group E. They defeated two former champions, Germany and Spain, in the group stage, which has piqued the interest of football fans. Read More: Pelé’s family: COVID caused infection, death not imminentA significant number of Japanese players play in Europe's top-tier leagues, which boosts their confidence and results on the field. Goalkeeper Gonda, forward player Ritsu Doan, the defensive line led by Tomiyasu, and Taniguchi have been doing well for their country. These players will be important again in this crucial contest against Croatia. Japan may deploy a 3-1-3-3 formation in order to take control of the midfield. Their wing-backs will be important in formulating attacks.Croatia, on the other hand, haven’t had the best time so far in Qatar 2022, except for the match against Canada. They finished second in their group behind a rejuvenated Moroccan side.The 2018 champions will be led by veteran midfielder Luka Modric. Kramaric and Perisic will be crucial upfront, while Dejan Lovren and Juranovic have to shoulder the bulk of the responsibilities at the back.One of the important things to consider is that most of their key players are over 30 years old, and the Japanese team can take advantage of this by bringing fresh legs in order to win one-on-one duels.Croatia will likely deploy a 4-3-3 formation for this game, with Modric playing the creative midfield role. Prediction: The majority expects Japan to overcome its Round of 16 fixture against Croatia after two magnificent victories over Germany and Spain. The match may end in extra time or even a penalty shootout. Read More: Qatar World Cup: Who are likely to advance to the quarterfinals? Aftermath Brazil's team has too much quality to overcome South Korea in their Round of 16 Qatar World Cup match. On the other side, Japan, who dominated in the group stage, has emerged as the favorite in its Round of 16 encounter against Croatia. If Brazil and Japan win their respective matches tonight, they will face off in the quarterfinals, and the odds are in their favour.