The winger’s goal was decisive in Seville in the 42nd minute. Lukaku and Ronaldo off, in Guerreiro’s pole shot
Sara Belgium-Italy in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. Martinez’s “Red Devils” beat the Portugal in the eighth final in Seville, eliminating the defending champions with a diligent and orderly match. The challenge in the match between Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo, to decide the qualification was a torpedo from the edge of the Thorn Hazard at 42 ‘, good at surprising Rui Patricio. In the recovery sterile assault of the Lusitanians.
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THE MATCH
It will be Belgium-Italy in Munich for the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. This is what was decided at La Cartuja in Seville where the team of Martinez, the next opponent of the Mancini national team, has eliminated the Portugal of Cristiano Ronaldo thanks to the network of Thorn Hazard, the least main stream of the brothers, at the end of the first half. A challenge played better in the first half by Belgium which then, once found the advantage, was able to defend the result by playing an orderly game in defense of their goal even with a bit of luck on the post hit by Guerreiro seven minutes from the end. The European trophy therefore loses its last owner and becomes vacant.
The heat of Andalusia has put its own in characterizing a challenge that at least for the first half hour was played gasping for the great heat and humidity. Two offensive teams in their mentality, but forced to choose the path of slow pace in order not to risk being in full reserve at the key moment of the challenge. But if Portugal in the first half is all in the central punishment of Cristiano Ronaldo rejected by Courtois, in the final ten minutes in which he raised the pace a little, Belgium was able to find a way to win the contest. The charge was played by Lukaku in the 35th minute with a personal action in which he brought four opponents to the penalty area, followed closely by a tall winger from Meunier. At 42 ‘the decisive episode born from a Courtois dribbling, goalkeeper profession, on Cristiano Ronaldo; from the next long throw Lukaku did the usual job of cleaning up the balls, leaving Meunier the finishing for Thorn Hazard who surprised Rui Patricio for 1-0 with a right-footed shot.
In the second half, Belgium immediately lost De Bruyne to an injury, but Martinez’s war intent with the inclusion of Mertens was not reflected on the pitch. The Red Devils immediately buried themselves in their own half, crouched to observe Portugal’s dribble often rather sterile and without an offensive point of reference given the movement out of Ronaldo’s area. A high shot from Diogo Jota and a weak header from Joao Felix, one of the changes chosen by Santos who concluded with all the best from a technical point of view in the field, kept Courtois focused, but the only intervention had to do it in the 82nd minute to punch a header from Dias on development of a corner. The decisive game for Belgium, however, was made by the post, kissed by Guerreiro’s right-footed volley in the final before a wide shot by Felix in full recovery.
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THE TABLE
BELGIUM-PORTUGAL 1-0
Belgium (3-4-2-1): Courtois 6.5; Alderweireld 6, Vertonghen 6.5, Vermaelen 6.5; Meunier 6,5, Tielemans 6,5, Witsel 6, T. Hazard 7 (50′ st Dendoncker sv); De Bruyne 6 (3′ st Mertens 5), E. Hazard 6,5 (42′ st Carrasco sv); Lukaku 6.5. A disp.: Mignolet, Sels, Boyata, Denayer, Benteke, Batshuayi, Trossard, Doku, Praet. Ct.: Martinez 6.5.
Portugal (4-1-4-1): Rui Patricio 5; Dalot 5.5, Pepe 6, Days 6, Warrior 6; Straw 5.5 (33′ st Danilo 6); Bernardo 5 (10′ st Joao Felix 6.5), Moutinho 5 (10′ st Fernandes 5), Sanches 6.5 (33′ st Oliveira 5.5), Jota 5.5 (25′ st Andre Silva 5.5 ); Cristiano Ronaldo 5. Available: Lopes, Rui Silva, Semedo, Fonte, Neves, Gonçalves, Mendes. Ct.: Saints 5.5.
Referee: Brych (Germania)
Markers: 42′ T. Hazard
Ammonites: Vermaelen, Alderweireld (B); Palhinha, Dalot, Pepe (P)
Expelled: nobody
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OPTA STATISTICS
Belgium equaled their best streak in major international tournaments, winning five straight matches for the second time (again under Roberto Martínez). In fact, he has won 10 of the 11 matches between the World Cup and the European Championships since the coach’s arrival on the national team bench.
This was Belgium’s first win against Portugal since September 1989 (3-0 in World Cup qualifiers) – ending an unsuccessful five-match streak (2N, 3P).
Portugal were eliminated from EURO 2020 by winning only one match out of four (1N, 2P); it was the edition in which it recorded fewer successes since its first participation in 1984 (one in four wins in that case too – 2N, 1P).
Belgium have kept clean sheets in six of their last eight European games, having recorded just two clean sheets in all of their previous 13 games.
Thorgan Hazard is the first Belgian player to have scored in two consecutive European Championship appearances.
Thorgan Hazard has scored more European Championship goals in three appearances (two goals) than his brother Eden in nine games (one center).
Thorgan Hazard has taken part in six goals in his last seven games as a Belgian starter (four goals, two assists).
Belgium fielded their oldest starting line-up at the European Championships today (30 years and 148 days).
Pepe (38 years and 121 days) has now become the oldest outfield player to play a European knockout match as a starter.
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