Thorgan Hazard scored the lone goal of the match as defending champions Portugal knocked out from the tournament and qualified Belgium for the quarterfinals of Euro 2020.
Hazard’s fine free kick three minutes before the break was crucial as the defending champions had no answer to it in a match of limited chances.
Cristiano Ronaldo was denied an early opportunity to equalize by Thibaut Courtois, but Hazard led the way for Belgium in the second half, scoring with a stunning drive that eluded Rui Patricio.
Among Fernando Santos’ squad, Renato Sanches displayed the most initiative; however, the Lille OSC man was unable to do it all alone, and Diogo Jota was wasteful, while Ronaldo was limited to speculative attempts.
At the other end, Romelu Lukaku was equally frustrated as he lacked support from his teammates, but Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard was lively and involved as captain.
Raphael Guerreiro came close to a second-half goal when he hit the crossbar during a push for an equalizer by the Portuguese, and Courtois made multiple stops as the game continued.
The night for Belgium was marred by Kevin De Bruyne’s injury within minutes of the second half, a serious injury that may have put his involvement in the Euros in jeopardy.
In any case, Roberto Martinez’s men are delighted to reach the quarterfinals, where eventually they’ll meet Italy in Munich.
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