PARIS – Thorgan Hazard scored the only goal of the game as Belgium knocked the holders Portugal out of Euro 2020 after the Czech Republic ended the dreams of a 10-man Netherlands side.
Belgium will next face Italy in the quarter-finals on Friday in Munich.
Belgium held Cristiano Ronaldo scoreless and defeated defending champion Portugal 1-0 to advance to the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
Thorgan Hazard scored the winning goal in the 42nd minute with a swerving shot from outside the area that left Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio wrong-footed and late to swat the ball away.
Ronaldo stayed one goal away from becoming the all-time men’s top scorer in international soccer. He is tied with former Iran striker Ali Daei at 109 goals.
Belgium played most of the second half without Kevin De Bruyne, who had to be substituted after being tackled from behind, AP reported.
Portugal had several good chances to equalise late in the match, including a header by Ruben Dias saved by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and a shot by Raphael Guerreiro that hit the post.
Netherlands dumped out by Czech Republic
Tomas Holes and Patrik Schick scored second-half goals to take the Czech Republic into the Euro 2020 quarter-finals as they took advantage of a red card for the Netherlands to upset their more fancied opponents and win 2-0 in Budapest.
Holes powered home a 68th-minute opener after being set up by Tomas Kalas, as the Dutch watched on hopelessly in their own penalty area.
“They were the favourites in this game, it is an unreal feeling to beat such a team 2-0,” said goalscorer Holes according to Reuters.
“They were better with the ball, we struggled, but thanks to our team performance, we did not give them much space.”
It was a calamitous outcome for the Dutch, who imploded after Matthijs de Ligt was sent off for a cynical handball 10 minutes into the second half, and they will now undergo some serious soul searching.
De Ligt was sent off after a VAR review by Russian referee Sergei Karasev after punching away the ball as he tumbled to the ground in a tussle with Schick.
“We lost the game actually because of an action by me. We were in control before that and I feel responsible,” an emotional De Ligt told Dutch television.
Before that pivotal moment, the Dutch had looked to get on top of their opponents with their overlapping runs and passing ability, but a moment of madness from their 21-year-old centre back swung the balance of the contest towards the Czechs, who needed no second invitation to grab the initiative.
The Czechs are now through to face a quarterfinal clash with Denmark in Baku on Saturday, turning around their Euro 2020 fortunes having only reached the knockout phase after finishing third in their group.
The Dutch could have gone ahead before being reduced to 10 men, with fullbacks Denzel Dumfries and Patrick van Aanholt creating several chances with their overlapping runs.
Yet striker Memphis Depay looked out of sorts and Donyell Malen hesitated with several opportunities — no more so than when sprinting through the Czech defence to go one on one with Tomas Vaclik, before having the ball snatched away from his feet as he tried to round the keeper.
There was an opportunity for the Czechs when stand-in captain Tomas Soucek glanced a difficult header wide in the 22nd minute and Antonin Barak blasted past the target from a tight angle 16 minutes later.
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