Brazil overcame enormous pressure to edge past Chile on penalties in their World Cup last 16 clash in Belo Horizonte on Saturday.

David Luiz officially opened the scoring for Brazil after Thiago Silva's flick-on from a Neymar corner, although replays seemed to suggest the ball had come off Chile's Gonzalo Jara.

But the host nation were pegged back just after the half-hour mark when Alexis Sanchez equalised following sloppy Selecao defending from a throw-in deep in their own half.

Brazil fans were then brought to their feet 10 minutes into the second half only to have their hopes of a second goal dashed after Hulk's strike was disallowed for a handball in the build-up.

Both South American sides struggled to fashion a better goalscoring chance as energy levels dropped and extra-time was unable to separate them.

And so the last-16 tie had to be decided with spot kicks and it was Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar who stood out as the hero, pulling off two saves to see Luiz Felipe Scolari's men into the quarter-finals.