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The Round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2020 has thrown up some mouthwatering match-ups, perhaps earlier than the big teams and their fans would have ideally wanted. Nevertheless, the first knockout round of this year's European Championships promises to be a spectacle to behold for the neutrals.
Old rivals and football royalty, England and Germany, will clash in a marquee UEFA Euro 2020 second-round fixture at Wembley on Tuesday, in perhaps one of the games of the tournament. Meanwhile, two of the game's new elites, Belgium and Portugal, will lock horns in Seville on Monday night.
Portugal, the defending champions, and Belgium, the long-standing no. 1 team in the world, both have a point to prove.
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Belgium have seemed seemingly invincible in their run to the Round of 16 at UEFA Euro 2020. They won all their ten qualifiers and all three group games. But the margin for error is now zero for the high-performing, underachieving aces of Belgium's Golden Generation. Despite being a top national team for years, Kevin De Bruyne and co. are yet to make it to the final of a major championship, let alone win one.
It is a different story for Cristiano Ronaldo and his band of boys. The Portuguese Golden Generation of Rui Costa, Luis Figo and co massively underachieved, but Ronaldo's generation has already won two major trophies.
For many, this team is even better than the one that won the last Euros, so Portugal will now be desperate to prove that that success was not a flash in the pan. Having narrowly survived the Group of Death, the reigning champions now face another epic battle in their quest to defend their crown.
On that note, here are the five key battles that could potentially decide the fate of this UEFA Euro 2020 Round-of-16 game.:
#5 Nelson Semedo (Portugal) vs Eden Hazard (Belgium)
Once the hottest prospect of the game, winger Eden Hazard has seen his stock fall after a poor couple of years at his dream club, Real Madrid. But the nifty attacker remains central to Roberto Martinez's plans and has seemed sharp on the ball at UEFA Euro 2020 thus far.
He loves to cut in from the left and will be up against former Barcelona right-back Nelson Semedo on that wing. Semedo is currently enjoying a spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers as part of a sizeable Portuguese contingent. He has recovered from an injury to almost become a certainty for this clash.
Hazard already has one assist at Euro 2020 and may prove to be more than a match for Semedo, who has not yet done full justice to his potential in a fledgling career. But the Portugal international has been decent at Euro 2020, registering a passing accuracy of 82%, 15 ball recoveries and three clearances.
This battle could well determine the fate of the game.
#4 Jan Vertonghen (Belgium) vs Diogo Jota (Portugal)
This will be a classic battle between youth and experience. Jan Vertonghen brings years of big-game nous to the table at the heart of Belgium's defence. Meanwhile, Diogo Jota is the personification of talent in the Portuguese forward line but needs to meld his abilities with more sensibility.
Jota picked up an assist in a classic counter-attacking move for Portugal's opener against Germany in a Euro 2020 humdinger, which the Germans won. But he was often guilty of not passing to Ronaldo in their opening game against Hungary.
Vertonghen will look to put the shackles on the Liverpool forward as part of a strong Belgian back three. This one is another crucial battle that could determine who gets the upper hand in this potential UEFA Euro 2020 classic.
#3 Renato Sanches (Portugal) vs Youri Tielemans (Belgium)
Renato Sanches has been in such brilliant form at Euro 2020 that he has managed to relegate Bruno Fernandes to the Portugal bench.
The Ligue 1 star was the attacking lynchpin in Portugal's 3-man midfield against the world champions. Earlier in the tournament, he came off the bench against Germany and unleashed one of the most powerful shots of Euro 2020 so far. If not for the woodwork, Portugal would have reduced their arrears to 3-4 on the night.
Belgium have a lot of flair players in their ranks, but Youri Tielemans' job is slightly different. He has a powerful shot of his own, but his main task will be to break up play in the centre of the park, where his main adversary will be Sanches.
#2 Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) vs Ruben Dias (Portugal)
His brilliance as a ball-player stood out in the game against plucky Denmark. Kevin De Bruyne first set up a goal and then scored a brilliant one himself to re-establish his credentials as the best-attacking midfielder in the world after a poor Champions League final by his lofty standards.
De Bruyne seemingly has it all: astounding vision, distribution, crossing ability and a thunderous shot off both feet. He did not play the first game of Euro 2020 due to injury but has already notched up two assists and one goal in the competition.
Tasked with stopping him will be a familiar face, the magnificent Ruben Dias, a clubmate of the Belgian's at Manchester City.
Dias was in scintillating form last season, becoming the best defender in England, and he will know a thing or two about stopping De Bruyne. It won't be easy, though, with De Bruyne already having struck up a great partnership with the in-form striker Romelu Lukaku for the Red Devils
But with 16 blocks, two tackes, a 93% passing accuracy and 270 minutes of football behind him at Euro 2020, Dias will be Fernando Santos' best bet to stop the Belgian marvel.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) vs Toby Alderweireld (Belgium)
The phenomenon continues to be phenomenal. Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best footballer on the planet, is producing age-defying exploits at Euro 2020.
With five goals already (three of them being penalties), Ronaldo is as many goals clear of Michel Platini as the highest goal-scorer in Euro history. The Portugal captain is now tied with Ali Daei on 109 goals for most goals in international football.
Clearly, Ronaldo's class is permanent, so the task facing the canny Toby Alderweireld on the night is humongous. But the great servant of Tottenham Hotspur football club will not let it deter him. He has been all over Europe at big teams, winning leagues in Spain and the Netherlands and reaching the final of the Champions League with the Lilywhites.
However, Toby Alderweireld will need to go beyond his A-game to stop Cristiano Ronaldo, especially as his other partner in the Belgian back three is likely to be Dedryck Boyata, a competent but mid-table defender, or Jason Denayer.
