Belgium vs Portugal player ratings: Hazard brothers impress as Red Devils head into Euro 2020 last eight

Belgium 1-0 Portugal: Thorgan Hazard’s wonder strike was enough to knock out the defending champions

Belgium booked their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 as they edged past Portugal, winning 1-0 in Seville to set up a clash against Italy.

In an incredibly quiet first half it took a moment of magic to break the deadlock when Thorgan Hazard’s long-range strike flew into the top corner from 25 yards out.

Portugal probed for an equaliser in the second period and went close when Cristiano Ronaldo neatly slalomed through a couple of chances before laying it off for Diogo Jota, only for the Liverpool man to fire over.

Late on Raphael Guerreiro almost found a way through for Fernando Santos’ men but his low drive struck the base of the post.

Here are all the player ratings from the match.

Belgium

Thibaut Courtois - 7: Made a routine stop from Ronaldo in the first half and snuffed out any Portuguese balls over the top. Punched away Dias’ header late on. Also showed off some nice footwork with a rather enjoyable dummy on Ronaldo.

Toby Alderweireld - 7: Did a stellar job on Jota, heading away the frequent attempts to play the ball over the top.

Thomas Vermaelen - 7: Kept Ronaldo at arm's length for much of the game, making the most of having protection from Witsel and Tielemans in front of him.

Jan Vertonghen - 7: Organised the defence superbly from the centre of the back three. Does not appear to be deteriorating with age.

Thomas Meunier - 6: Was the only one of the supposedly creaky Belgium defence that did appear somewhat unreliable.

Thorgan Hazard - 8: Responsible for the moment of the match with his screamer at the end of the first half - one of the goals of the tournament.

Kevin de Bruyne - 6: Had a quiet first half and was then cynically hacked down and injured by Palhinha. Started the second half but was immediately substituted when he realised he couldn’t carry on.

Axel Witsel - 7: Shielded the ball well and tracked the runners in between the lines in the second half when Portugal tried to get Fernandes and Felix into the game.

Youri Tielemans - 7: Was clearly told to play a deeper role in the first half as he joined Witsel in a double pivot, restricting his impact on the game in the final third. Showed a bit more energy in the second half and rarely misplaced a pass.

Romelu Lukaku - 8: Portugal were unable to cope with his strength, speed and the intelligence of his runs. Shrugged Dias off with ease as he held up the ball for the opening goal. Was superb when receiving the ball on his own up front in the second half as Belgium sat deeper to protect their lead.

Eden Hazard - 8: Caused havoc in between the lines, appearing to relish being the main creative threat once De Bruyne had departed. Was invaluable when Belgium needed to break up the play and relieve the pressure on their defence in the latter stages. Worryingly went off with a knock late on.

Subs: Dries Mertens - 6. Yannick Carrasco - N/A. Leander Dendoncker - 6.

(Getty Images)

Portugal

Rui Patricio - 6: Could not do anything about the stunning Hazard goal. Didn’t have a great deal else to deal with.

Diogo Dalot - 6: Looked very nervous in the early stages coming in for Semedo at right-back. Gave his side an attacking overload in the second half but couldn’t make it count.

Ruben Dias - 6: Could not handle the strength of Lukaku for Belgium’s opening goal as he was thrown about with ease. Otherwise looked relatively solid against a potent opposition attack. Went close with a header late on but was denied by Courtois.

Pepe - 6: Looked slow when on the back foot but did manage to mask that lack of pace with some intelligent positioning. Terrible foul after the whistle had gone he was lucky to escape with only a booking for.

Raphael Guerreiro - 6: Belgium enjoyed a decent amount of joy down Guerreiro’s side. Came the closest of any Portugal player when he struck the post.

Joao Palhinha - 5: Was responsible for a sickening scissor-like challenge on De Bruyne having been largely anonymous. His only major contributions were two wild efforts which ballooned over the bar.

Renato Sanches - 8: Used his superb engine to carry the ball forward for Portugal and distribute it to the front four. Dictated the tempo of the game and was one of the main ways in which Fernando Santos’ side managed to retain possession.

Joao Moutinho - 6: Belgium struggled to deal with him, resorting instead to sharing fouls around on him. Was subbed in the second half as Portugal chased the game.

Bernardo Silva - 6: Brought his usual dogged defensive work to the party, harassing Thorgan Hazard at every opportunity. Lacked an end product when he was found in attacking areas and was substituted before the hour mark.

Cristiano Ronaldo - 6: Stung the fingertips of Courtois with a venomous free-kick in an otherwise very quiet first half. Created a decent chance for Jota with a nice bit of trickery. Not his finest 90 minutes.

Diogo Jota - 6: Had a tough time in the first 45 minutes as he was manhandled by the experienced Alderweireld. Fired a half-chance over the top in the second half.

Subs: Joao Felix - 6. Bruno Fernandes - 7. Andre Silva - 6. Danilo Pereira - 6. Sergio Oliveira - 6.