Belgium vs Portugal is one of the standout ties of the round of 16 and both of these teams will be confident of progression. Belgium strolled their way through Group B and although they took their foot off the gas against Denmark, they still managed to find a way to win.
They produced an xG of just 0.88 against the Danes and although they made heavy weather of their 2-0 victory over Finland, they have more than enough individual quality to trouble the Portuguese defence. Despite their attacking prowess, the Red Devils’ defence doesn’t convince with Jason Denayer having looked a little shaky so far. Ageing duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen also potentially have a mistake in them too.
Portugal rested Bruno Fernandes on Wednesday night, yet they still managed to pick up a respectable 2-2 draw with France. Fernando Santos’ men scored twice from the penalty spot, however, they also looked vulnerable to France’s pace and were caught out by the pace of Kylian Mbappe on a couple of occasions.
This could be a superbly entertaining 90 minutes.
