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Belgium are through to the knock-out phase of the competition thanks to a late goal from Divock Origi.
Everyone's dark horses for the competition were once again reliant on a player coming off the bench to make a difference.
While in the 2-1 opening win over Algeria it was the experienced pair of Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens, who both were rewarded with a place in the starting XI for this match, against Russia it was a somewhat unknown 19-year-old.
Origi, who was making just his fourth appearance for Belgium and has only appeared 22 times in Ligue 1 for club side Lille, scored after 88 minutes after good combination play with Eden Hazard.
The result means Belgium are through to the knock-out stage while Russia can still make it through, despite Fabio Capello's side being on just one point.
But who was the star man? Click through our player ratings below...
Show all 23 1 /23Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Thibaut Courtois Wasn’t called upon on many occasions but stood up firm when asked to. Was a commanding figure at the back and earned his clean sheet. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Toby Alderweireld Very lucky not have given a penalty away, after his clumsy challenge on Maksim Kanunnikov, the Atletico Madrid man had an ineffectual game. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Daniel Van Buyten Firm at the back, just like he has been for Bayern Munich for so long, this was a strong display from an important player for Belgium. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Vincent Kompany This was a typically Vincent Kompany performance from the Manchester City captain. A man mountain at the back, Russia ran scared. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Thomas Vermaelen Bitterly unlucky to be injured in the warm-up and probably shouldn’t have started. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Axel Witsel His work rate was evident throughout but lacked the penetration to make any real difference. One of the reasons for Belgium’s timid display. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Marouane Fellaini Initially pushed forward to support Romelu Lukuko, the Manchester United midfielder endured a difficult afternoon. Flashes of brilliance were overridden by his poor distribution. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Kevin De Bruyne One of the best performing Belgians of the first half, the former Chelsea man faded in the second period. Was initially adventurous and strived to create chances. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Dries Mertens Excellent in the first half but, like De Bruyne, was seemingly invisible in the second. Was a fearsome threat early on. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Eden Hazard The reason why Belgium won the game. After a poor showing for the first seventy minutes, Chelsea’s enigmatic winger made all the difference. A frightening force in the latter stages. 8
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Romelu Lukaku A non-existent performance which resulted in him being substituted half-way through the second half. Was clearly (and rightfully) unhappy with his shift today. 4
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Best of the bench: Divock Origi Provided a clinical finish for his goal, and far more effective than Lukaku today. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Igor Akinfeev Recovered well from his nightmare showing against South Korea last week. Will be bitterly disappointed to have surrendered a clean sheet though. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Aleksei Kozlov Initially a threat down the flanks, Kozlov disappeared in the second half. Was taken off by Fabio Capello as a result. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Sergey Ignashevich A rock at the heart of Russia’s defence, Romelu Lukaku had no answer for his physicality. Desperately unlucky to have been on the losing side. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Dmitry Kombarov Alongside his defensive partner Ignashevich, the Russian centre-back was a force to be reckoned with. Belgium struggled to pick the lock. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Dmitry Kombarov Was impotent whenever he ventured forwards and lacked the pace to get back once caught out. A poor showing. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Denis Glushakov Tasked with sitting in front of the defence, Glushakov did his job well. Managed to contain Axel Witsel with ease and attacking moves were built from his distribution. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Oleg Shatov While football writers will undoubtedly use his surname as inspiration for less than complimentary headlines in the morning, this was a decent display on the left wing. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Alexander Samedov Rarely threatened the Belgium backline and struggled to keep the ball once he had hold of it. An average, if uncompetitive, display. 6
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Alexander Kokorin Unlucky not to get on the score sheet, Kokorin’s game will be remembered for his awful miss in the first half. Worked well alone up front, however, and deserves credit for doing so. 7
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Belgium 1 Russia 0 player ratings Victor Fayzulin Showed ambition to get forward throughout and launched a series of dangerous counter-attacks on the Belgian goal. A menace. 7
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Who do you think made the greatest impression? Let us know in the comments below.
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