Perennial dark horses Belgium face Hungary in the round-of-16 at the UEFA Euro 2016. The match, which will be played at the Stadium de Toulouse in Toulouse, will see its winner meet Wales in the quarterfinals.
While Belgium finished second behind Italy in their group, Hungary defied all odds to top their group, trumping Iceland and Portugal, who finished second and third respectively. Ahead of the crunch match, both the coaches have urged their teams to go out there and play their hearts out.
Bernd Storck, Hungary’s coach said that he was happy that his team made it to the knockouts but wants his players to concentrate on their strengths and be clinical in front of the goal.
“We are very happy to be in the round of 16, I think we deserve it. We have played good football and have kept improving. But now we play the team second in the FIFA rankings, an excellent side. We have to concentrate on our strengths, be strong in defence and clinical when we have chances.
“It's not for me to say if [Belgium] are a golden generation but they play at top clubs and have won a lot of trophies. They had a very difficult start against Italy – you can easily lose to them and that was the case at this tournament. But Belgium have got better from game to game and it is going to be a big challenge for us.
“I'm pretty calm before a game. I know what I have to say to the players, and in the first minutes of a game I can see if they are doing what I have told them to do, and I calm down when they do it.”
On the other hand, Marc Wilmots, Belgium’s coach opined that his team has no issues with being termed as a favourite and their goal is to go as far as possible in the tournament. Incidentally, Wilmots played against Hungary’s goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly in Bundesliga in the late 90s.
“Our goal is to go as far as possible. I have no problem with being considered favourites. We have to have the ball and dominate as we try to and get to the quarters. We have to control the ball and tie them down and create one-on-one match-ups in the last 30 metres. But they are very compact in defence, so we have to be patient and play at pace. Hungary will fight until the end.
“[Kevin De Bruyne] could be key. He didn't play very well against Italy but has striven to improve – he has wanted the ball and taken the initiative. Kevin is smiling again, he is enjoying his football. There has been a lot going on in his life, he changed clubs, but now he is smiling again.
“[Hungary goalkeeper Gábor Király, whom Wilmots played against in the Bundesliga in the late 1990s] has been a great professional. I don't remember if I scored against him but this guy is still here! It’s nice to see.”
Live Stream and kick-off time
The match will be live from 00:30 IST (Monday), 20:00 BST (Sunday). Watch live streaming of Croatia vs Portugal on SonyLIV. Follow Hungary vs Belgium, Euro 2016 Live Score and Commentary with Sportskeeda. The match will be telecasted live on Sony Six and Sony Six HD in India, ESPN in the USA and ITV 1 in the UK. The match will be played at the Stadium de Toulouse in Toulouse .
Team News
For Hungary, Laszlo Kleinheisler, Krisztian Nemeth, Tamas Kadar and Adam Nagy are expected to return to the starting XI after sitting out for their last group stage match against Portugal.
For Belgium, Wilmots might name the same side which he fielded in their last group stage match against Sweden.
Probable Line-up
Hungary (4-2-3-1): Király; Kádár, Guzmics, Juhász, Lang; Nagy, Gera; Lovrencsics, Kleinheisler, Dzsudzsák, Szalai.
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Meunier, Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Vertonghen; Witsel, Nainggolan; Carrasco, De Bruyne, Hazard; Lukaku.
Form guide (Most recent first)
Hungary – DDWLD
Hungary have won just one of their last five matches with the only win coming in their opening match of the tournament against Austria. They drew their next two matches and will want to upset the Red Devils.
Belgium – WWLWD
Belgium, on the other hand, have won three of their last five matches and lost just one, their tournament opener against Italy.
Head to head record
- Belgium and Hungary have met each other 12 times previously, with the Red Devils winning eight and the Hungarians winning two. Two matches ended in a stalemate.
- The last time these two teams met was in 2009, a friendly which Belgium won 3-0.
- They have met twice in competitive matches as well, a 1-1 draw at the 1982 World Cup and a 2-1 win for Belgium at the 1972 European Championship.
- Belgium have not lost in their last eight fixtures against the Hungarians, drawing two and winning six.
Prediction
Belgium, who reached the quarterfinal of the FIFA World Cup in 2014 as well, are the favourites to win this match. However, given the fickle nature of the game and the things we learned from the group stages of this tournament, nothing can be said for sure.
However, the Red Devils have enough firepower and experience in their ranks and they would like to show the world what they are truly made up of. Our prediction is a 2-0 scoreline for Belgium.
