Ronaldo Kick Run

Cristiano Ronaldo exits but does not have the look of a man whose race is runThree minutes before half-time, Romelu Lukaku turned in the centre-circle and made another arcing run. He had been making them all half, and would go on making them, but had touched the ball only nine times, less than half as many as any other outfielder. This time, though, the ball arrived, via Thorgan Hazard’s clip over the top, and he was able to hold off Rúben Dias and gather. For pretty much the first time in the game, Belgium had the ball in a dangerous area and Portugal were not set. Lukaku held it up and, although Kevin De Bruyne lost possession, the lack of Portuguese organisation meant when the ball broke to Hazard he had time to line up a shot. It was not a goal for Lukaku, nor an assist. There will be statistical models that mark him down for the pass to De Bruyne that led to the ball briefly being lost. But he was critical to the goal. Playing as a striker is supposed to be about glory, but it’s about a whole lot more. Related: Thorgan Hazard strike sinks Portugal and puts Belgium in quarter-finals Between them, Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo scored 53 goals in Serie A last season. There was a sense in which this was about their rivalry, both in terms of a direct battle for the Golden Boot at this tournament and a clash of their different interpretations of what it is to be a modern centre-forward. At the final whistle the pair embraced, Lukaku consoling the fallen champion. As he has aged, Ronaldo has become a harder and harder footballer to categorise. That he has moved from tricksy winger to old-school No 9, made the full journey from Stanley Matthews to Tommy Lawton, is an appealing shorthand, but it is not quite the full story. At 36, of course he cannot hare about as he once did, but equally, as his goal against Germany showed, he is still capable of bursts of explosive pace. Video: Belgium knock out holders Portugal to reach Euro 2021 quarter-finals (France 24) Belgium knock out holders Portugal to reach Euro 2021 quarter-finals