Belgium v Portugal: What the stats say ahead Euro 2020 clash
This will be the first-ever major tournament meeting (World Cup/EUROs) between Belgium and Portugal; Portugal are unbeaten in their last five matches against Belgium across all competitions (W3 D2) since a 3-0 defeat in World Cup qualifying in September 1989.
Belgium have only failed to score in two of their last 58 games under Roberto Martínez, averaging exactly three goals per game in this stretch of fixtures (174 in total). The two games they have been shut out came in the 2018 World Cup semi-final against France (0-1), and in their most recent meeting with Portugal – a 0-0 draw in June 2018.
Belgium have reached the knockout stages in each of their last five appearances at a major tournament (EUROs and World Cup), progressing to the semi-final in their previous one at the 2018 World Cup. Their defeat to eventual winners France in 2018 is the only one of their last 10 games at major tournaments that they have failed to win (W9).
Portugal have qualified for the knockout stages of the EUROs in third place for the second tournament in a row, also doing so in 2016 before going on to lift the trophy. Indeed, their return of four points from their three group games is the poorest return for a EUROs defending champion since Greece in 2008 (0).
Belgium’s victory over Finland last time out marked their ninth win at the World Cup & Euros combined under Roberto Martínez, with the Spaniard now holding the outright managerial record for major tournament wins with the Red Devils.
Portugal have conceded six goals in three games at EURO 2020 so far, already one more than they did at EURO 2016 when they went on to lift the trophy (five goals conceded in seven games). The last time Portugal conceded 2+ goals in three consecutive games was in February 2013 under Paulo Bento.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is now the top-scoring European player at major tournaments (World Cup & Euros), with his brace against France moving him beyond Miroslav Klose (19) to 21 goals. Indeed, that was Ronaldo’s second brace of EURO 2020 already – no player has ever registered three in a single tournament at the European Championships.
Despite playing just 134 minutes of action so far, Kevin De Bruyne has had a direct hand in three of Belgium’s seven goals at EURO 2020, netting once and delivering two assists. Dating back to the 2018 World Cup, De Bruyne has assisted in his last three major tournament appearances, with teammate Eden Hazard – between 2016 & 2018 – the last European player to do so in four straight matches at major tournaments (5).
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Since the end of the 2018 World Cup, Romelu Lukaku has scored 23 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions for Belgium, while also providing four assists in this run. Lukaku has already netted three goals at EURO 2020 so far, just one shy of his best return at a major tournament (four at the 2018 World Cup).
Since (and including) the 2014 World Cup, Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne has created 71 chances in major tournaments (EUROs and World Cup), more than any other European player in that time.