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Substitute Gabriel Martinelli struck at the death to earn Brazil a hard-fought passage to the World Cup round of 16 as Japan fell at the first knockout round in dramatic fashion once more.

Samurai Blue, 2-1 losers on the day, had claimed a shocking lead in the first half when Kaishu Sano punished sloppy defending from Danilo and Casemiro before driving in from range. Brazil improved from a low berth in the second half and Casemiro made amends for a shaky display by heading home Gabriel Magalhaes’ fine cross from the left.

Japan appeared to be heading to injury time when Ao Tanaka lost the ball in his own third, Brazil slicing through a defense that had been so excellent in the preceding 93 minutes. It is yet more heartbreak for an impressive Japan, who have still never won a knockout game at a World Cup, while Brazil will consider their first half a warning for the challenges ahead as they bid to add a sixth World Cup title.

Brazil did not want for possession from the outset and yet it was not clear that they knew how best to exploit that against a Japan rearguard that would quickly collapse into a 5-4-1 with little space between their lines. Set pieces caused the odd worry and for a moment around the 10th minute, Japan were a bit perturbed by the playmaking of Bruno Guimaraes. Ultimately, though, accessing the penalty area was an almighty slog for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

And then they would lose the ball and find there was nothing protecting their backline. After a wobbly display in their opener against Morocco, Ancelotti had felt compelled to shift his midfield to a three but still Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta, hobbled early on by the Japan press, could not get back in time to protect Casemiro. His first notable action was a clumsy foul on Junya Ito worthy of a yellow card.

Did that booking limit his ability to quell the threat when Sano stole the ball in midfield? Probably not. This was less a question of will than one of means. Casemiro did not have the legs to protect his backline when caught even a few yards upfield. On and on Sano went, a low drive from range leaving Alisson without hope.

Casemiro’s struggles did not stop there. Clumsy giveaways, further occasions where he could not lay a glove on a Japan attacker: this was threatening to be a hall of shame day for the veteran. Had Paqueta not suffered an injury on the stroke of halftime, the outgoing Manchester United man might well have made way. Instead, he got his shot at redemption.

Endrick’s introduction brought a bit more zip to Brazil’s build-up, but really, the most effective adjustment Ancelotti made was that his side eschewed their pursuit of the perfect pass from the first half, choosing instead to get the ball in the mixer. Fine crosses from the right brought Bruno Guimaraes a telling chance before Vinicius Junior hooked one back inwards for Casemiro, denied on the line by a combination of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Zion Suzuki.

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He would not give in. Gabriel Magalhaes bent an excellent cross to the back post, curling away from goalkeeper Suzuki and to the back post, where Casemiro was waiting to thunder in a header.

For an instant, Brazil believed again. Vinicius Junior brought the cut through that had gone missing for him since the group stage, sending defenders sprawling to the deck before poking a right-footed shot at goal. Suzuki just managed to get a glove on it.

Such cutting runs are joyously rare but perhaps Brazil could have tried a few more attempts to drive through the Japanese lines. Instead, they decided to test the theory that there could be too much of a good thing, continually trying to replicate Gabriel’s cross against a Japan defense that were no longer camped on their six-yard box.

If only they had tried working through the lines sooner, their progress might have been secured before the 95th minute, when Guimaraes had the composure to turn down a shooting chance on the edge of the box and slide in Martinelli, who opened his body up and rolled a ball just beyond the grasp of Suzuki. For the fifth time in eight World Cups, it was heartbreak for Japan at the first knockout hurdle. If Brazil do not improve, however, they might not be clearing many more hurdles this summer.