Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal were eliminated from the UEFA Euro 2020 after suffering a 1-0 loss against tournament favorites Belgium. Meanwhile, Netherlands, too, exited the competition after a shock defeat against the Czech Republic.
No record and no progress either; Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will no longer be involved in the UEFA Euro 2020 after being dumped out by Belgium. Thorgan Hazard’s sole goal on the night was enough to ensure the incumbent European champions’ exit from the competition at the Round-of-16 stage. Elsewhere, Frank De Boer’s Netherlands suffered shock elimination from the tournament, after a 2-0 loss against the Czech Republic.
Belgium against Portugal was one of the standout fixtures of the first knockout round, with both teams strong favorites to reach the final. However, after a scintillating start, the match settled into a rhythm as both sets of players tried to gain an advantage over each other. The breakthrough arrived three minutes before half-time when a Belgium break led to the ball being played out to Thorgan Hazard. The younger Hazard took a touch to set himself up for a shot before unleashing a fierce strike towards the goal. The ball deceived Rui Patricio in goal and ended up in the far corner.
Portugal tried to hit back after the break and went close on a couple of occasions. First, Diogo Jota skied his shot high and wide after spinning his marker inside the box. Raphael Guerreiro then hit the post with a superb shot before the ball bounced away to safety. Cristiano Ronaldo tried his luck from set-pieces but ended up shooting blanks. Portugal, unable to force an equalizer, lost the match 1-0.
Prior to the heavyweight clash, the Netherlands took on the Czech Republic in their Round-of-16 match. Frank De Boer’s men came into the game as favorites, courtesy of a one hundred percent record in the group stage. However, what was proving to be a difficult task for the Oranje turned impossible when Matthijs De Ligt received his marching orders.
The Netherlands, a man down and against the wall, conceded two goals after the sending off. Tomas Holes scored first before Patrik Schick put the game beyond any doubt. The Czech Republic went through to the quarterfinals, where they will now face Denmark.
