Budapest (AFP)
Portugal-Belgium looks like "the first final" of the Euro, between the defending champion and one of the big favorites to his succession, Sunday in Seville, to then challenge Italy in the quarters.
The Euro is too small for two attacking monsters, the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and the Belgian Romelu Lukaku: one of the two will return home.
This Sunday is definitely the day of the gunners, since four of the five top scorers still in the race are on the scene.
In the other 8th of the day, the Netherlands of Georginio Wijnaldum (3 goals) started favorites against the Czech Republic of Patrik Schick (3 goals), to then play a place in the semi-finals against Denmark, who beat the country of Wales (4-0) with a brace from Niçois Kasper Dolberg.
To all honor, the immense "CR7" (5 goals), leader of the fireworks classification, who brought the number of goals at the Euro to 14, erasing the record of Michel Platini (9 goals), challenges Lukaku (3 goals) in a heavyweight clash.
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This season, the five-time Ballon d'Or has again overtaken the Belgian in the scorers standings of the Italian Championship, with 29 goals against 24, but Lukaku finished champion with Inter Milan, and Juventus of Turin and Ronaldo n 'took 4th place at the last minute.
The Belgian approaches the challenge with envy.
"It's true that when people comment on the performances of the best strikers like Lewandowski, Benzema, Kane or Cristiano, they always talk about + world level +. When it's me, they just say that I'm in great shape", regrets he does.
- "The team that will defend the best" -
"And yet, I think I have my place among this list of world-class players," said the Belgian.
"He's one of the best scorers in the world," defends his team-mate Jan Vertonghen.
"He received a lot of criticism for his game, but he responded with the way he evolved. He's a tough, fast boy who has become one of the top scorers in the world."
But it's not just the finishers.
"The team which will defend the best, which will not give up, which will know how to manage the ball well and which will create opportunities to concretize, it is the team which will win", summarizes Fernando Santos, the coach of Portugal.
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Beyond the challenge of the two stars, collectively, the best impression is Belgian.
The "Red Devils" have won all their matches, rested from the starters and pampered Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne, the outfitters of Lukaku.
Meanwhile, Portugal whipped against Germany (4-2 defeat) and France (2-2) to pass only as best third, but this tortuous path in 2016 had led them to the title ...
In the other 8th, the Netherlands also approach their match on a series of three victories, against the Czechs passed among the best third.
They will have to watch the formidable Patrik Schick, who made a strong impression with his goal of 50m against Scotland.
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The "Oranjes" and the "Narodni tym" crossed twice in a Euro, in hens, for a victory each.
The Czechs won 3-2 in 2004, the Dutch 1-0 in 2000, at home.
The goal was scored by Franck de Boer, their current coach.
Finally, on the eve of their duel against Spain, Croatia learned that they will be deprived of their winger Ivan Perisic, author of two goals in three matches and tested positive for Covid.
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