Euro 2016 - Belgium overwhelm Hungary to progress to quarter-finals
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ByEurosport
Updated 27/06/2016 at 06:41 GMT
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse – Hungary 0 – 4 Belgium (Alderweireld 10, Batshuayi 78, Hazard 79, Carrasco 90)
Belgium's forward Eden Hazard (C) celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Euro 2016 round of 16 football match between Hungary and Belgium at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse on June 26, 2016.
Image credit: AFP
Eden Hazard produced a Euro 2016 masterclass, as Belgium beat Hungary 4-0 in the last-16 clash in Toulouse to set up a quarter-final date with Wales on Friday.
Belgium, second in the world rankings behind Argentina, finally produced a performance to match that status with a thrilling victory over Bernd Storck's side at the Stadium de Toulouse.
Toby Alderweireld gave Belgium the lead with 10 minutes on the clock when he nodded Kevin De Bruyne’s set-piece past Hungary's veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.
The Red Devils looked a threat whenever they sauntered forward but Kiraly was in inspirational form and made a number of crucial saves to keep his side in the game.
But Marc Wilmots' team tore the Hungary defence apart in the closing stages with three goals in the final 11 minutes from Michy Batshuayi, Hazard and Yannick Carrasco.
Substitute Batshuayi slotted home with his first touch of the game on 78 minutes, following excellent work from Hazard.
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Belgium's forward Michy Batshuayi (L) celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Euro 2016 round of 16 football match between Hungary and Belgium at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse on June 26, 2016.
Image credit: AFP
A minute later, Hazard slalomed through the Hungarian defence before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner, and another substitute, Carrasco, putted added gloss on an already polished performance when he made it four in added time.
And, if they progress past Gareth Bale et al, it doesn't get particularly harder from then on, with the winner of that quarter-final going on to face Poland or Portugal in the semi-final in Lyon on 6 July.
TALKING POINT - HAS MARC WILMOTS WON OVER THE DOUBTERS?
Players often improve as they go through tournaments as momentum grows and the matches come every three or four days. Can the same be true for a manager? Wilmots was castigated for his tactics against Italy, falling for the Azzurri counter-attack sucker punch and watching helplessly as Antonio Conte's side won 2-0.
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Belgium's coach Marc Wilmots (L) celebrates a goal during the Euro 2016 round of 16 football match between Hungary and Belgium at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse on June 26, 2016
Image credit: AFP
But, with Marouane Fellaini dropped to the bench since that nightmare in Lyon, and Radja Nainggolan bossing things in midfield, Belgium now look like a team set up to go all the way.
And with two of his substitutes, Batshuayi and Carrasco netting late goals against the Hungarians, Wilmots deserves all the plaudits coming his way over the next few days.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Eden Hazard (Belgium)
The Chelsea playmaker's body language in the final weeks of Jose Mourinho's tenure at Stamford Bridge suggested a footballer who had fallen out of love with the game.
Tonight against the Hungarians in Toulouse he looked as he had rediscovered his passion.
Granted, he was helped by the laissez-faire Magyar defence, but every time he picked up the ball in the gap between midfield and attack, he looked ready to unleash a shot or a sharp pass to set up Lukaku or De Bruyne.
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Belgium's forward Eden Hazard (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the Euro 2016 round of 16 football match between Hungary and Belgium at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse on June 26, 2016
Image credit: AFP
For all his attacking genius, perhaps the standout moment came moments before the break, when he tracked back deep into his own half to check a run from Hungary right-back Adam Lang.
If he was watching, Jose wouldn't have believed what he was seeing - Eden Hazard really can defend - when he wants to. And for Belgium, he really, really wants to.
PLAYER RATINGS
Hungary: Kiraly 7, Lang 6, Juhasz 5, Guzmics 5, Kadar 6, Gera 6, Lovrencsics 6, Pinter 6, Nagy 6, Dzsudzsak 5, Szalai 6. Subs: Bode 6, Nikolic 6, Elek 7.
Belgium: Courtois 7, Meunier 7, Alderweireld 8, Vermaelen 8, Vertonghen 7, Witsel 7, Nainggolan 6, De Bruyne 8, Mertens 6, Hazard 9, R. Lukaku 6. Subs: Fellaini 6, Carrasco 8, Batshuayi 7.
KEY MOMENTS
7' – SAVE! Hungary clear the corner, but Belgium come again and Kiraly is down to save from De Bruyne, following the Manchester City midfielder's brilliant piece of control from a Hazard cross and shot from the edge of the area.
10' – GOAL!Hungary 0-1 Belgium. Alderweireld gets in front of Lukaku to head home De Bruyne's deep free-kick to the back post. Hungary defenders look around at each other and ask 'Where was the marking?'
34'- SAVE! Kiraly makes a brilliant save to flick a De Bruyne free-kick onto his crossbar. The 40-year-old seems to have hurt his fingers making the stop though.
29' – CHANCE! Lovrencsics tries a snapshot from 25 yards that has Courtois scrambling but the ball arrows over his crossbar.
41' – SAVE! Brilliant one-handed stop by Kiraly to deny Mertens from Hazard's sharp pass across the box.
47'- SAVE! Kiraly blocks an effort from the left channel from Hazard - the Chelsea playmaker again cuts in and finds space for a shot.
52'- CHANCE! Szalai heads onto Vermaelen from Dzsudzsak's first-time cross on the run from the left.
58' - CHANCE! Mertens shoots over from close range after Lukaku misses a flick at the near post.
78' - GOAL! Hungary 0-2 Belgium. Batshuayi nets with his first touch of the match from Hazard's whipped in cross from the left.
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Belgium's forward Michy Batshuayi (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Euro 2016 round of 16 football match between Hungary and Belgium at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse on June 26, 2016
Image credit: AFP
79' - GOAL! Hungary 0-3 Belgium. Hazard nets the goal his performance deserved with a drilled finish following a break from De Bruyne and a cut across the penalty area.
83' - SAVE! Courtois flicks over a shot on the turn from Szalai - Hungary do deserve a goal for their performance tonight.
90' -GOAL! Hungary 0-4 Belgium. Courtois makes a save at the one end from Elek, and Belgium break to score as Nainggolan sets up Carrasco to slot the ball past Kiraly.
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Eden Hazard celebrates
Image credit: AFP
KEY FACTS
Belgium managed 16 shots in the first half – the most for an opening 45 minutes in Euro 2016.
Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in 33 of the 100 international goals Belgium have scored under Marc Wilmots (13 goals, 20 assists).
The 4-0 win over Hungary is Belgium's biggest win at a major tournament.
MATCH IN A TWEET
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