The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Belgium fires past Portugal in Round of 16 matchup

Autoplay in... 6 (Cancel)
Up Next No more videos! Playlist is empty -
Replay
Cancel
Next
27th June, 2021
0

Belgium have knocked out holders Portugal to reach the Euro 2020 quarter-finals with Thorgan Hazard’s superb strike enough for a 1-0 win.

Thorgan Hazard has thundered in a first-half winner as Belgium defeated titleholders Portugal 1-0 in their European Championship Round of 16 clash to advance to the quarter-finals.

The 42nd-minute strike from Hazard secured the win for Roberto Martinez’s team, who survived plenty of pressure from the Portuguese in the second half.

But with the finishing touch missing, it was the end of the road for Cristiano Ronaldo and a Portugal team that had triumphed in Paris five years ago.

Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne, only recently back from a facial injury, hobbled off three minutes into the second half after suffering an ankle injury shortly before the break.

Diogo Jota had two good chances for 2016 European champions Portugal – one in each half – and Raphael Guerreiro hit the post in the 83rd minute but they could not find an equaliser despite an improved display in the second half.

Belgium will face Italy – who beat Austria 2-1 on Saturday to make it 31 unbeaten matches for the Azzurri – in Munich on July 2.

Portugal began brightly and Jota wasted a great chance in the sixth minute, dragging his shot wide after Renato Sanches had broken from midfield and found him in a promising position on the left.

Advertisement

Ronaldo then tested Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois with a low-struck free-kick as Fernando Santos’s team continued to apply pressure.

But Belgium grew into the game with De Bruyne increasingly influential and three minutes before the interval they grabbed the lead.

A smart passing move ended with Thomas Meunier feeding Thorgan Hazard, whose wickedly swerving shot flew past the wrong-footed Portugal keeper Rui Patricio.

Belgium suffered a blow when De Bruyne limped off with an injury three minutes after the break and Santos sought to breathe life into his side’s attack by introducing Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix from the bench.

Ronaldo, cutting in from the right, did well to find Jota in the box but again the forward’s effort was off target but Belgium were struggling to contain their opponents.

Belgium’s attempts to counter were increasingly rare and Portugal turned up the heat in the final ten minutes as they searched desperately for an equaliser.

Courtois punched away a thundering Ruben Dias header from a corner and then Raphael Guerreiro struck the post with a sweet first-time shot from the edge of the box.

Advertisement

Deep in added time, Portugal created one final opportunity but Felix’s drive flashed just wide of Courtois’s right-hand post.

© AAP

close