Belgium top stubborn Hungary to reach Euro 2016 quarterfinals

ESPN FC's Roberto Martinez and Kasey Keller still have doubts about Belgium after their win over Hungary.

TOULOUSE, France -- Three observations from the Stadium Municipal where Belgium defeated Hungary 4-0 to advance to the Euro 2016 quarterfinals.
1. Belgium eventually break down Hungary
Here was evidence of the brilliant, multi-talented Belgium team that many feel are capable of becoming European champions, a flowering of the rich resources that coach Marc Wilmots has at his disposal. Eventually, and expertly they broke the spirit that had carried Hungary to the knock-out rounds. Captain Eden Hazard, with due deference to Kevin De Bruyne's earlier brilliance, was the star.
Just when it looked as if Hungary might equalize with Belgium holding a 1-0 lead, Michy Batshuayi converted a drilled Hazard cross to make it 2-0 in the 78th minute, after some lovely skill from the Chelsea man. Next came Hazard's solo run and thrashing shot after a De Bruyne pass that made it 3-0 and booked Belgium's place in the last eight, before Yannick Carrasco topping it off with the team's fourth in stoppage time.
At times, Hungary were hanging on, fully relying on goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, but while they were just a goal down, they were still a significant threat to Belgium's Friday appointment in Lille with Gareth Bale's Wales. Despite the final score, this was no easy night for a team who now look to have a clear run to the final. Beyond Wales lie the winners of Portugal against Poland in Lyon.
To get there, Belgium may have to improve on a second-half lapse which suddenly opened the door to Hungary. From the early knockings, they had been dominant, the gulf in talent to their opponents apparent as they simply battered the Hungarian defence. When Toby Alderweireld headed in a De Bruyne free kick with real power in the seventh minute, they already appeared set fair.

Hungary  0
   FT

Belgium  4

Radja Nainggolan and Axel Witsel ruled the roost in midfield, and Dries Mertens was an arrow down the right flank. Centre stage, though went to De Bruyne, whose 34th minute free kick was tipped against the crossbar by Kiraly at a time when the playmaker's speed of thought and movement was tearing Hungary asunder. A player who missed three months of Manchester City's season with a knee injury looks fresh at these championships, something that cannot be said of many star names in France.
Hazard, after his tough season with Chelsea, certainly appears more relaxed in a Belgium shirt. After his match-winning contribution, the captain left the field to a standing ovation his injection of brilliance deserved.
However, these lapses of concentration might cost Belgium their progress. There are suspicions about Wilmots' ability to keep his players focused, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' early failure to control a tame back pass and concede a corner was a prelude to some loose play.
In the 68th minute when Roland Juhasz smashed a half-volley across Courtois and Adam Szalai only just failed to reach the ball at the far post, there was a sudden silence among the previously noisy fans of the "Red Devils." But soon they were celebrating, at first in relief, and eventually in enjoyment capped by Carrasco's injury-time clincher.

In the end, Belgium's class and quality won out against underdogs Hungary.

2. Kiraly the Hungarian hero again
Without Kiraly, Belgium would have been home and hosed by half-time. At times in that blistering opening period, with Hungary's defence unable to deal with the speed of Romelu Lukaku, De Bruyne and Hazard, Belgium were left free to fire shots at the 40-year-old. He proved equal to the task.
Wilmots had suggested last week at Belgium's training camp that he would have preferred his team to face Spain or England than Hungary in Toulouse. It seemed an admittance that his team sometimes take things too easy against purportedly lesser opposition, as when they only squeezed past Sweden in their final group game for a narrow 1-0 victory.
That was not the case here; Belgium began with zest and kept on the throttle, even if they began somewhat passively, as if trying to entice Hungary and open the backdoor to counterattacks. When the opposition is backpedalling, De Bruyne and Hazard are at their most dangerous.
Having been left unprotected, Kiraly could do little to prevent Alderweireld from scoring Belgium's first, but the veteran stopper prevented the game from drifting out of sight by making the first of a series of stops from De Bruyne, though the best was a save on a first-half free kick. In saving that, Kiraly smashed his right hand against the crossbar, and could be seen wringing it in pain.
But it seemed to fire Kiraly up even more. He appeared impassable, his heroics throwing doubts into Belgian minds. That his teammates were able to give Belgium such a second-half scare was completely down to Kiraly. Even with the score at 4-0, he had a legitimate claim to be man of the match.

Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly kept his side alive in the match by making a number of fine saves.

3. Hungary depart as heroes
They had been top scorers in the group stage, an outfit who had impressed with their energy and the proactive in-game management of coach Bernd Storck. Prior to the match, the last 16 had been a graveyard for the outsider, with Portugal's last-gasp win over Croatia registering as a surprise -- and they had Cristiano Ronaldo.
A ragtag collection of players, of whom by far the highest profile is Kiraly, and that for his wearing of frayed tracksuit pants, they had already excelled themselves in a first finals tournament since the 1986 World Cup.
Storck's meticulous planning suffered a serious setback when Laszlo Kleinheisler, Hungary's star man in France, pulled up lame in the warmup. In came Adam Pinter, for the Werder Bremen starlet, and a late reshuffle. Kleinheisler's creativity was a big loss, but Storck's men eventually worked out a way to fashion chances.
Did that late switch impact their defending of set pieces? It was difficult to say since Alderweireld, and Lukaku beside him, was allowed a clear run at De Bruyne's free kick. Gergo Lovrencsics was closest but outnumbered as the Spurs defender crashed his header home.
Hungary improved, with Szalai causing definite problems as an aerial threat at the beginning of the second half, and in no way disgraced themselves. Euro 2016 shall miss them.
John Brewin is a staff writer for ESPN FC.