Brazil vs Belgium: 5 Talking Points as Belgium knock Brazil out of World Cup 2018

#3 Casemiro's absence is Fernandinho's nightmare

Fernaninho had a night to forget, which he probably won't.

A couple or three years ago, there would've been little debate over who between Casemiro and Fernandinho should start in the middle of the park - in the enforcer role, for Brazil. It would've been the Manchester City man.

But such has been the evolution of Casemiro as a holding midfield player at Real Madrid, specifically under Zinedine Zidane, that his selection in the starting lineup for his country is unarguably merited.

However, after picking up his second yellow card in the tournament in the quarterfinal against Mexico, Casemiro was ineligible for the game against Belgium. That handed Fernandinho his first start in Russia - one he'd much rather have had sat out instead.

After conceding an own goal for the opener, things never got better for the midfielder as he was unable to pick a pass or thwart an attack - as Belgium kept rampaging past him in midfield and carved open Brazil time and again, particularly in the first half.