Thorgan Hazard's stunning strike gave Belgium a 1-0 victory over Portugal, setting up a Euro 2020 quarterfinal against Italy.The game was dominated by a temperamental and sometimes ill-tempered match in Seville. However, the Belgian Hazard brother, the younger, provided the game's only genuine moment of quality with a long-range, swerving effort that eluded Portugal's goalkeeper Rui Patricio in the second half.Portugal had the better chance before that with Diogo Jota shooting wide and Euro 2020 top-scorer Cristiano Rogo forcing Thibaut Courtois to dive save him with a well-struck kick.Fernando Santos' team failed to score despite Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes being introduced in the second period. Raphael Guerreiro was the closest, scoring a low goal against the post in closing stages.Portugal's players were becoming increasingly frustrated as they lost their hope of winning the trophy. Referee Felix Brych was shown a series of yellow cards during a stop-start 2nd half. It wasn't all good news for Roberto Martinez's team.Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne was injured in an ankle accident by Portugal's Joao Palhinha just before the half-time break. Eden Hazard, who suffered a hamstring injury late on, may not be able to play against Italy on Friday.Ratings for Belgium players: Courtois (8) and Alderweireld (7). Vermaelen (8) and Vertonghen (7). Meunier (7). Witsel (7). Tielemans (7). Tielemans (7). T Hazard (8). De Bruyne (6). E Hazard (8). Lukaku (6).Subs: Mertens (6), Dendoncker (6), Carrasco ((6)).Portugal: Patricio, Dalot, Pepe, (6); Dias (6); Guerreiro, (7). Palhinha, Moutinho, (6). Sanches, (8). B Silva, (7). Ronaldo, (7). Jota, (5).Subs: Fernandes (7, Felix (6, Silva (6) and Danilo ((6)).Thorgan Hazard is the man of the matchHow Belgium sent the holders back homeThe tie pitted the holders of the competition against the No 1 side in the world. However, there was very little excitement until Thorgan Hazard's spectacular opener.Portugal had an opportunity to lead at the beginning when Renato Sanches, the outstanding player, jumped away from Youri Tielemans' midfield position and fed Jota to his left.Image: Cristiano Ronaldo expresses frustration at Portugal's exclusionAfter collecting Sanches' pass, the Liverpool man had a clear view of goal but his diagonal attempt was too wide for Courtois' left-hand post.It was a disappointment for Belgium who failed to take down Portugal at the other end. Romelu Lukaku was closely marshalled and defended by Ruben Dias, Pepe and Eden Hazard sent a harmless shot over the bar from the box's edge.Martinez's team lacked the usual slickness when in possession, and Portugal were content to wait for openings while they stroked the ball cautiously. The game became a cagey affair early on.Team news Belgium made five adjustments to their win over Finland by Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. Thomas Meunier, Thomas Meunier. Youri Tielemans. Thorgan Hazard also returned.Portugal made two changes to their draw with France at 2-2. Joao Palhinha and Diogo Dalot got the nod, while Bruno Fernandes was left on the bench.Ronaldo was, like Lukaku in the first half, a peripheral figure. However, he did get close once, unleashing a powerful kick which had to be stopped by Courtois.It would have been an incredible opener from Ronaldo who scored 109 goals for Portugal and only needed one more goal to break the international scoring record. But it was Thorgan Hazard who created the moment that lit up the game.The 28-year old was allowed to control Thomas Meunier’s pass, so he burst into the space in front of him. He unleashed a vicious strike from 25 yards away that was too strong for Patricio.Image: In the quarter-finals, Belgium will face ItalyHowever, the Belgian celebrations were dampened when De Bruyne needed treatment for his ankle after Palhinha's clumsy tackle.Manchester City's man returned for the second half but was unable continue for a few minutes. He is now doubtful for the quarter-final.Portugal seemed to be boosted by De Bruyne's resignation, as did Felix and Fernandes shortly thereafter.Image: Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne was injured just before the half-time breakRonaldo began to drop further in an attempt to influence the game. He almost scored an equaliser when, after he had dribbled through a crowd Belgian defenders and played a one two with Diogo Dallot, he fed Jota who fired from 10 yards away.Portugal was left with over half an hour of play and traffic was one-way. Despite a series of shots, Portugal couldn't find a way through.Pepe was a manifestation of their frustrations, clashing twice with Lukaku. There was more to come in the closing minutes with Dias coming close from a corner, Guerreiro hitting the woodwork, and Dias getting closer from the corner.Andre Silva, a substitute, then shot straight at Courtois from close quarters before Felix sent a narrowly missed effort.Belgium won the match in the end but Hazard followed De Bruyne off of the pitch sooner than expected in the closing stages. It remains to be seen how strong the Belgian team will be in their quarter-final tie against Italy at Munich.Managers' commentsPortugal manager Fernando Santos says: "I think that the result was unfair, but this is football. We didn't score, they scored. We found our stride after a period of 10 minutes in which we did not play as well, and when they pushed us back. We had a strong mentality and tried to attack when in possession."We hit the post. We kept being dangerous. We always fought for it. But the ball didn't go in. We are very disappointed. We believed we would reach the final and win."Ronaldo is a true captain. He tried to change it. All the players feel pride.1:22 Roberto Martinez said that he felt an incredible satisfaction’ with his Belgium team after they reached the quarter-finals with a win against Portugal (UEFA 2020).Roberto Martinez, Belgium's boss: "I thought that we had incredible concentration and we defended really well. We controlled the game from the beginning, scored a great goal, and as they gained momentum, we needed to display an amazing mentality. We were disciplined and tactically savvy.We know the potential of this generation's football, and we are aware of the great talent that they possess. But we also showed the other elements necessary to make a winning team. This display was possible because of the commitment shown by these players. It's hard to believe that this mentality would have existed two, three years ago. It has been a result of consistency, the environment, the work and the focus on the players. That backbone is something I am proud of."We will need to wait 48 hours to treat the injuries. Kevin's ankle is broken. It was a very bad tackle. We'll wait and see. No diagnosis has been made. Eden is more of a muscle sensation. "We'll be returning to Belgium on Sunday night and will do the scans [on Monday].Opta stats: Belgium's winning streakImage: Belgium's players are celebrating while Cristiano Ronaldo displays his despairThis was Belgium's first victory over Portugal since September 1989 (3-0 in World Cup qualifiers). It ended a five-match streak without a win against Portugal (D2 L3).Portugal was eliminated from Euro 2020 after only one win in their four games (D1L2), their lowest total in any single tournament at European Championships since 1984 when they won one of the four (D2L1).Belgium has now won five consecutive major tournaments in a row, equaling their longest winning streak (both under Roberto Martnez). Since Martnez's arrival, the Red Devils won 10 of 11 games in the European Championships and World Cup.Belgium scored six goals outside the box during the European Championships 2016 and 2020. This is more than any other team in this time period. Thorgan Hazard, Radja Nainggolan (2) and Kevin De Bruyne were the other five Belgian players to score outside the box since 2016.The average age of Belgium's starting XI in the match against Portugal was 30 years and 148, making it the oldest game they played at the European Championships and also the oldest named team at Euro 2020.The Euro 2020 quarter-finals will be played in Munich between Belgium and Italy on Friday, July 2. Kick-off is at 8pm.
