The Netherlands came back from one goal behind to beat 10-men Brazil 2-1 to enter semifinal of the World Cup on Friday.

Wesley Sneijder put the Netherlands 2-1 up against 10-man Brazil with 10 minutes of the quarterfinal clash.

The midfielder scored with a close-range header in the 68th and Felipe Melo was sent off moments later for stamping on Arjen Robben.

Brazil looked rattled after failing to make its domination count for more than Robinho’s 10th-minute opener.

Robinho finished with a low shot to put the record five-time champions ahead.

Sneijder floated in a 53rd-minute cross from deep on the right for the equalizer. It struck Felipe Melo on the head as he jumped in front of goalkeeper Julio Cesar and the ball went over the keeper and into the net.

Earlier, Robinho gave Brazil a 1-0 lead over the Netherlands as the five-times World Cup winners dominated the opening quarterfinal.

Dutch hopes of avenging their 1994 and 1998 last-eight defeats by Brazil were not helped by losing centreback Joris Mathijsen to a knee injury minutes before kick-off.

The consequent disruption to their defensive organisation was quickly apparent, and Robinho had already had one effort chalked off because of a debatable offside call against Dani Alves by the time he gave the Selecao a tenth-minute lead.

Felipe Melo, the Juventus midfielder called up to replace the suspended Ramires, was the provider, sliding a ball from deep inside his own half through the heart of the Dutch defence.

Robinho’s run from the inside left channel went untracked by John Heitinga and the forward was able to place his shot beyond the left glove of Maarten Stekelenburg.

Juan might have made it two midway through the half. The Roma star looked like a born striker as he got across his marker to meet an Alves cross at the near post, but his shot was lifted high over the bar.

Heitinga, who had already been booked for an off-the-ball trip on Luis Fabiano, was fortunate not to be sent off for a foul on Kaka as the Brazilians started to turn on their style.

A Robinho dribble, a Fabiano flick and suddenly Kaka’s curling shot had forced Stekelenburg into a full-stretch save.

Thirty-five minutes had elapsed before the Dutch managed to produce a strike on target, Wesley Sneijder thumping a long-range free-kick into Julio Cesar’s midriff.

The Dutch had reason to be grateful to Stekelenburg once more when he got his fingertips to a Maicon drive from wide on the right just before the interval.