By Mdunge Skhumbuzo
Belgium has defeated Portugal 1-0 in the last 16 of Euro 2021.
As the Portuguese were hoping to defend their Euro 2021, the Belgian defender, Thomas Vermaelen, silence Christian Ronaldo, who already scored five goals in the group stages.
Thorgan Hazard unsealed the score line in the first 42 minutes. Before this game, Belgium has never defeated Portugal since September 1989, where they won 3-0 in the World Cup qualifier.
DSTV SuperSport VideoThe Belgium coach, Roberto Martinez, said he was happy about the commitment of his players.
"The talent is clear on this generation. Today they showed incredible concentration, the tactical discipline they made us suffer. We were playing against the best team in Europe. They know how to win, they know how to be not the favourites, and always win. So, for us, it was the biggest test today." Roberto said.
The Portugal coach, Fernando Santos, said it was not their day because they created so many chances and still lost the game.
" I think it unfair, but this is football. For the 1st 10 minutes, they control the game and push us back. But, after 10-15 minutes, we find our stride. My players played with a strong mentality. The Belgian side had six shots … one on target, while on the other side, we had 29 attempts but couldn't score even one goal." Fernando said.
Belgium has joined Denmark, Italy, and the Czech Republic, who have already qualified for the last-8 quarterfinals.
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