The level of play from both players rose in a remarkable game with Goffin serving at 2-4 down as he kept Nadal at bay despite facing four break points, including one incredible cross-court backhand as he ran back to the baseline after being lobbed.
"When you're not winning too many matches, you have to build the confidence level", Djokovic said. "I think Feliciano played really well, especially in the second set".
Nadal has lost his last three matches on clay against Djokovic, and his last seven overall against the Serb.
"I'm not anxious about it", Nadal said. "It was good for the first match". In set number 2 we saw picture ideal Nadal, who had 17 winners and just 2 unforced errors in 7 games played!
Number three seed, Simona Halep is into the quarter-finals after her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over 16 seed Samantha Stosur and she will be joined there by Rumanian wild-card, Sorana Cirstea and Kiki Bertens.
On Wednesday, Canadian Eugenie Bouchard advanced to the quarter-finals when top seed Angelique Kerber retired with a lower back injury while trailing 3-6, 0-5.
Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova was also victorious today after she dispatched Qiang Wang of China 6-4, 7-5.
"I am happy for the fact that I did not take my foot off the gas as it is important to keep pressing specially against good players", Yuki said.
Earlier, world No.1 Andy Murray crashed out in the third round to 20-year-old Borna Coric 6-3 6-3 as his hard start to the clay season continued.
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Goffin, who has 27 victories, was trying to make it to his third final this season.
Nadal finally broke in the third game of the second set before having to stave off four break points on his own serve to consolidate his lead at 3-1.
However, the tables have turned this season as Nadal has looked unstoppable on his favourite surface, winning his 10th title at Monte Carlo Masters last month and followed it up with another crown in Barcelona.
The other quarterfinal will be played between Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay, who defeated Benoit Paire of France 7-5, 0-6, 6-1, and Alexander Zverev of Germany, who beat Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4.
"I feel a little bit unusual".
World number one Andy Murray is in action later against Croatia's Borna Coric.
Thiem against Coric avenged a loss earlier this year at Miami.
The sixth-seeded Nishikori said his wrist was "not 100 percent" and he didn't "want to risk" a more serious injury. He withdrew from the Barcelona Open last month because of the lingering wrist inflammation.
Nishikori is now also a major doubt for the Rome Masters next week with 10 days to go until the start of the French Open.
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