A stunner from Thorgan Hazard ended the hopes of Portugal to retain the Euro Cup it had won in 2016.
Belgium defeated Portugal 1-0 in Seville on Sunday evening and has set up a quarterfinal clash with Italy, which is already being billed as a 'blockbuster'.
Thorgan Hazard's swerving shot came in the 43rd minute. Portugal fought back hard in the second half but were unable to find the net, with Cristiano Ronaldo failing to add to his five goals in the tournament. Ronaldo remains tied with former Iran striker Ali Daei at 109 goals in the number of most international goals.
"Portugal had several good chances to equalise late in the match, including a header by Rúben Dias saved by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and a shot by Raphael Guerreiro that hit the post. The Portuguese did most of the attacking in the second half, finishing the match with 24 attempts. Belgium had six in total and scored the only time it hit the target," Associated Press reported.
Thorgan was quoted by Reuters as saying, "In these kinds of games you have to grab your chances with both hands and voila, the goalkeeper expected me to choose the other corner, so the ball went in."
Despite the victory, Belgium's performance was considered uninspiring. The attack, consisting of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, struggled in the match. Defender Thomas Vermaelen conceded "In the first half, we were playing high and putting pressure on Portugal, but looking at that second half, we are lucky to win."
Moreover, injuries to Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard will add to Belgium's worries. The duo hobbled off during the match and will undergo scans on Monday. AFP reported, "De Bruyne suffered an ankle injury while coach Roberto Martinez said Hazard's problem was 'more of a muscle feeling'."
Belgium will face Italy on July 2.