Portogallo - Austria 0-0 Cristiano Ronaldo sbaglia il Rigore! Europei 2016! GIALAPPA"S!!!
Every match day during Euro 2016, The Nationals Premier League correspondent Greg Lea will break down every match and its key moments. Here is his analysis of Saturdays action in the tournament.
Portugal 0-0 Austria: Lack of clinical edge could cost Ronaldo
For the second game running, Portugal dominated proceedings and created an abundance of chances but were left frustrated after dropping two points.
Cristiano Ronaldos missed penalty stole the headlines, but there were plenty of other goalscoring opportunities passed up in open play by the Portuguese, particularly in the first half.
Fernando Santos will be pleased with how his team played against both Iceland and Austria, but they now head into the final Group F match against Hungary knowing that another slip-up could lead to their elimination.
Related: Cristiano Ronaldos historic night one to forget as Austria frustrate Portugal
Portugal have simply not been clinical enough, with their profligacy in front of goal meaning the pressure has been ramped up ahead of Wednesdays showdown.
Austria, meanwhile, have been a massive disappointment so far. Much was expected of Marcel Kollers side after an impressive qualifying campaign, but they have now been outplayed twice and find themselves bottom of the group heading into the final round of games.
Belgium 3-0 Republic of Ireland: Lukaku at the double
Belgium needed an emphatic response to their disappointing defeat by Italy last time out, and that is exactly what they delivered against the Republic of Ireland.
Two goals from Romelu Lukaku and one from Axel Witsel secured a 3-0 victory that puts the Belgians in pole position to finish as runners-up in Group E.
Read more: Evertons Romelu Lukaku finds form to kick-start Belgiums Euro 2016 campaign
This was a much-improved performance from Marc Wilmots men, who looked particularly dangerous on the counter when the Republic of Ireland had committed bodies forward.
Hitting opponents on the break could be Belgiums most successful route to goal this summer, with Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Lukaku all well suited to a counter-attacking game plan.
Question marks remain about Wilmots tactical nous and his teams coherence, but Belgium certainly have the individuals to pose a threat to the favourites in France.
Iceland 1-1 Hungary: Both sides keep dreams alive
A draw was a fair result at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, with Hungarys late leveller moving them a step closer to a place in the knockout stage.
Bernd Storcks charges dominated possession in this Group F encounter, with neat midfield interplay between Adam Nagy, Zoltan Gera and Laszlo Kleinheisler a feature of their approach once more.
Nagy was particularly accomplished on the ball, the 21-year-old showing great confidence and bravery to continually demand possession regardless of whether opponents were around him or not.
Photo gallery: Hungary, and their supporters, go wild as they near Euro 2016 last 16
Iceland also deserve credit for their defensive resolve and patience without the ball, with the smallest nation to ever compete at a European Championship content to sit deep and compact without possession before springing forward once possession changed hands.
Hungary did not create too many clear-cut chances for all of their territorial dominance, and a 1-1 draw was an accurate reflection of the game as a whole.
One match can be decisive in Golden Boot race
Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku both scored twice in the last couple of days, with the duo moving to the summit of the top goalscorer standings alongside Frances Dimitri Payet, Romanias Bogdan Stancu and Wales Gareth Bale as a result.
Neither striker had found the back of the net in his sides opening encounter indeed, both men were criticised for poor all-round performances but the fact that Morata and Lukaku are now right up there in the race for the Golden Boot proves that a single game can be decisive.
Perhaps one hat-trick will be all that is needed for a player to pull away in the rankings.
Player of the day
Raphael Guerreiro was Portugals standout player, the full-back frequently pushing forward down the left flank and combining well with teammates in the final third.
Goal of the day
An own goal may seem like an odd choice for this category, but the Hungary move that led to Birkir Saevarsson turning the ball into his own net was excellent, Nemanja Nikolic, Laszlo Kleinheisler and Adam Nagy combining well down the right before substitute Nikolic sent in a tantalising cross that was pitched perfectly between the Iceland goalkeeper and defenders.
Decision of the day
Moving Kevin De Bruyne into the No.10 role was an obvious but important move from Marc Wilmots.
Howler of the day
The award of Icelands penalty was contentious, but Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly did not exactly cover himself in glory by flapping at the initial corner before Tamas Kadar collided with Aron Gunnarsson.
Moment of the day
After numerous unsavoury incidents between opposition fans in France, it was nice to see Belgium supporters applaud the Republic of Irelands national anthem before the two teams met in Bordeaux, just as they had done against Italy last Monday.
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Source: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/euros/ronaldos-missed-penalty-lukaku-responds-for-belgium-in-a-big-way-euro-2016-talking-points
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