El excelente estado de forma de Cristiano Ronaldo no fue suficiente para Portugal. El campeón reinante de la Euro dijo adiós este domingo en los octavos de final de la edición 2020 del torneo, ante una selección de Bélgica que supo dañar, pero que también supo aguantar cuando sus principales figuras abandonaron el campo, heridos en la batalla.
Arsenal and Tottenham are not two teams known for their defensive solidity over the years. Yet three center backs who came to prominence at those two clubs just shut down Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix and Portugal.
Not so Spursy after all.
There were two shots on goal in the first half of the much-anticipated Belgium-Portugal Round of 16 Euro 2020 match on Sunday. The first was a scorching free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo parried wide by Thibaut Courtois; the second the Thorgan Hazard goal vs Portugal, which started when Courtois dribbled by Ronaldo.
With two heavyweights meeting early in the knockout stages, the teams spent most of the first half feeling each other out. There were few real chances on goal, but Ronaldo did trouble Courtois with this free kick that he actually hit on target.
The top-ranked team in the world takes on the top all-time international goal scorer in men’s soccer in Seville, Spain. Our Belgium vs Portugal prediction, preview and viewer’s guide will prepare you for what could be the match with the most overall talent of any game at 2020 Euro.
The end of the group stage at a major international tournament is always a bittersweet moment. No longer are we treated to a feast of two-to-four matches per day, but with the knockout rounds beginning you’re left with the best teams going head-to-head in win-or-go-home matches. With that in mind, here are The18’s Euro 2020 Round of 16 predictions for the eight matches we can’t wait to watch.
The European Championship is entering its knockout phase and the following is an overview of the remaining 16 teams:
AUSTRIA
Los goles son goles. Sean de chilena, de cabeza o de rodilla. Cristiano Ronaldo los ha hecho de todas formas, pero por alguna razón hay un grupo de personas que trata de invalidar sus logros porque muchas de esas conquistas han sido de penal. Hasta lo llaman Penaldo.
Obviamente, es una insensatez.
Lo relevante es que mientras sus críticos pierden el tiempo en boberías, Cristiano Ronaldo hoy ante Francia marcó dos goles y consiguió convertirse en el máximo goleador masculino a nivel de selecciones, igualando al iraní Ali Daei, con 109 conquistas.
Wipe the sweat off your palms, Portugal fans, your team survived the group stage.
The rematch of the Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France proved infinitely more entertaining five years later. Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a brace with two kicks from the penalty spot to tie the men’s all-time international scoring record and confirm Portugal’s place in the knockout stages.
Cristiano Ronaldo had never scored against France in six competitions, then came a gift. Well, Danilo Pereira won’t think it was a gift, if he remembers it at all. Pereira was waylaid by keeper Hugo Lloris, setting up the Ronaldo goal vs France from the spot.
Portugal and France traded penalty kicks to go into halftime time tied on Wednesday in Budapest. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 30th minute, with Karim Benzema equalizing just before halftime. Both also scored in the second half of the 2-2 draw.
El Arena Púskas ha propiciado la atmósfera más efervescente en la fase de grupos de la Euro. Sin restricciones de público, los partidos de Hungría han tenido en las tribunas a 60 mil fans, generando un efecto visual colorido y llamativo. Sin embargo, con el pasar de los días, también ha quedado en evidencia un lado bastante oscuro: la intolerancia de un grupo importante de aficionados.