OUT of the ashes of Dante’s inferno . . .

Even in the immediate aftermath of their historic national humiliation four years ago, it seemed harsh that the then-Bayern Munich defender was pushed forward as the poster boy for Brazil 1 Germany 7.

Dante, like everyone in yellow in Belo Horizonte that black day, was culpable for the chaos. But only partly so. He had been thrust into the white-hot heat of a World Cup semi-final against the favourites having not played a minute of the tournament, asked to fill the void left by suspended captain Thiago Silva. Alongside him, David Luiz was supposed to be the steadier hand and head. The world knows how that one worked out.

But four years on as Brazil take aim at Belgium tonight, with a return to a World Cup semi-final on the line in Kazan, the rebuilding of the image of the most-storied national team in the game gathers pace here at this breathless tournament.

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The teasing verve and tantalising tempo in attack has a whole lot to do with that. Philippe Coutinho, Neymar, Willian, Paulinho and, in albeit brief flashes, Gabriel Jesus have grown with each game at this World Cup and in their best moments against Mexico last time out, sprung forward in blurry interwoven waves.

But that’s only half the story, if even that. Because it is the recasting of the Brazilian backline that has proven much more pivotal in the Selecao’s quest for redemption in Russia. Appointed just two years ago this month, Adenor Leonardo Bacchi — or Tite to you and me — first set about fixing the failings of the recent past before he could look to the future.

I was lucky enough to have lived in Brazil for six months leading up to the last World Cup and then hung around for another month afterwards for good measure. The national fervour that comes with the territory of hosting the tournament was multiplied across a country that does mass hysteria better than most.

The confidence that swirled around the Mineirão Stadium that day was intoxicating. Brazil were drunk on it, blind drunk as it happened. The warning signs of a defensive collapse had been flashing all the way to Belo Horizonte. They just didn’t want to see them.

Brazil had made it to the semi-finals having managed to keep only one clean sheet in the tournament, Luiz’s dramatic goals helping to take eyes away from major failings at the other end. Luiz Felipe Scolari had tried to plaster over things by dropping Dani Alves in favour of Maicon but when Thiago Silva was suspended for the semi-final, that plaster was torn off in torturous style, leaving a deep scar on the national psyche. It’s one that you sense can only be fully healed through the Hexacampeonato – sixth championship – that they have spoken of ever since they won their fifth in 2002.

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Fast forward four years and Tite’s not so much new-look but new-feel Brazil are still three victories away from that Hexa. However they have already kept three clean sheets in this World Cup, the disputed header from Switzerland’s Steven Zuber the only goal conceded.

Much has been made of the age profile of the heart of his defence, where both Thiago Silva and Miranda are 33. But the understanding and calmness of the pair has helped allay age concerns to this point. The manager’s policy of rotating the captaincy has continued at the tournament but it’s significant that Thiago Silva has been handed the armband twice.

The PSG defender’s resurgence for the national team has been particularly heralded in his homeland and beyond. While Tite has had a steely trust in Inter Milan’s Miranda throughout his reign, he preferred Marquinhos alongside him in qualifying, playing a slightly higher line than they have done here with Thiago Silva.

But dropping that bit deeper hasn’t changed the overall effectiveness of the system. Therein lies its beauty — and its brilliance.

Tite lost veteran Dani Alves on the eve of the tournament and the saw his replacement, Manchester City’s Danilo, injured in the first game here. On the other side, another pillar, Marcelo, left minutes into the final group game against Serbia and missed the last 16 clash with Mexico entirely. But the manager simply slotted the unheralded Corinthians player Fagner in on the right and Atletico Madrid’s Felipe Luis on the left and the unit has barely wavered.

When they were busy claiming domestic, continental and global titles, Tite’s Corinthians side were the best defence in Brazil year after year. But his successes in shoring up the national team are beyond that — they’re breathtaking.

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The victory over Mexico was the 57-year-old’s 25th game at the helm. The 2-0 scoreline marked a 20th win with just one defeat on his record. In those 25 games, Tite’s Brazil have recorded 19 clean sheets and conceded just six goals.

So supremely confident in his system is the manager that he was happy to lay it out in forensic detail in the aftermath of the Mexico victory, despite the fact that Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard were free to listen along. A coach who is often referred to by Coutinho and other Brazil players as ‘Professor Tite’, time spent listening to him break things down could never be considered time wasted.

“We mark the sectors. We don’t mark individually,” he explained. “You don’t race around and mark that person. We mark aggressively per sector of the pitch — tick, tick, tick, tick — that’s why we block so many finishes and so many crosses.”

As he waved his hands around forming these sectors, a quick check of FIFA’s statistical breakdown of the tournament backed up his claims. Brazil have allowed just five shots on target in the entire tournament, by a distance the least of any side remaining. Despite a couple of nervy moments under high crosses, Roma’s Alisson has looked every inch the best shotstopper in the game when those efforts have broken through.

“When you worry about your area of the pitch, you shorten the space of our opponents,” Tite continued. “You’re marking the ball and then the man. You mark the area of the pitch, then you look at the ball, then you look at the man. That’s how you think. You have to bet on a strategy and practise for it. We practise this style – first, area of the pitch, then the ball, then the man and we put the pressure on.”

On the flip side, Belgium are likely to put their own pressure on that system tonight like none before. The tournament’s top scorers will surely look to stretch those ‘sectors’ and disrupt the compact unit.

Marcelo will return tonight and Fagner is certain to retain his place despite Danilo’s clean bill of health. The armband will switch across to Miranda this time. Slight changes here and there but the significant message will remain the same: for all the brilliance of Neymar, Coutinho and Co. ahead of them, it is on the defence that Brazil’s Hexa bid is built.

As he sat alongside his professor in that press conference turned lecture hall, Tite’s assistant Sylvinho said it best.

“You can’t concede silly goals and be a champion,” the former Arsenal defender argued. “This doesn’t make a team defensive. It’s a balanced team and very well organised. So we understand. It’s Tite’s signature, it’s our signature.”