Last 8 standing: A lowdown on how the teams are shaping up for the quarterfinals

Belgium: Raising the bar 

Belgium’s tournament began with a 2-0 defeat by Italy, which prompted almost immediate recriminations. Since then they have begun to live up to expectations with midfielders Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Axel Witsel shining in recent games. Striker Romelu Lukaku has continued to lead the attack and looked sharp. Belgium, helped by a kind draw, look a strong bet to go all the way to the final.

France: Back pain 

The French team has made it through to the last eight thanks in a large part to the performances of two of its key forwards — Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann. France’s biggest concerns remain at the back. Patrice Evra has struggled at left back and the makeshift centre-back partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami has also not convinced. Sevilla man Rami has been shaky in particular and his suspension for the quarterfinals could actually be a positive for the hosts.

Germany: In Kroos mode 

Central defenders Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels have delivered despite suffering injuries late in the season. The German defence has now kept four clean sheets, and they are the only team not to have conceded a goal in the tournament so far. Toni Kroos is capping a Champions League-winning season with Real Madrid and has taken over the playmaking role from the injured Bastian Schweinsteiger. He is the first port of call for defenders and beautifully distributes the ball across the entire pitch, reading the game like no other player in the Germany team.

Iceland: The dark horse 

After coming second in their group and pulling off the shock of the tournament by sending England crashing out in the second round, Iceland are performing well beyond the expectations of everyone but themselves. Whatever weaknesses they may have are kept well-hidden and their high-energy defence, led by Ragnar Sigurdsson, has been rock solid, with a lot of credit also going to those further forward for what is truly a team effort. The star of Iceland’s show, however, is undoubtedly Swedish coach Lars Lagerback, who has infused his side with a level of organisation and self-belief that will have convinced them that they can complete another upset when they face hosts France in the next round.

Italy: The best defenders 

A hallmark of Italy’s national teams over the years has been their sturdy defence and that has been the case at Euro 2016 where they have conceded just one goal so far. The chemistry and understanding between the Juventus quartet of keeper Gianluigi Buffon and defenders Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, has made them almost impenetrable at then back.

Poland: Misfiring forwards 

Poland’s route to the last eight has been down to a robust defensive effort with their misfiring strikers posing little threat upfront. Adam Nawalka’s team have let in just one goal. But at the other end, hitman Robert Lewandowski, the leading scorer in Euro 2016 qualifying with 13 goals, has only mustered two attempts on target in the tournament, both in the last match.

Portugal: All about Ronaldo 

Portugal’s campaign has centred around Cristiano Ronaldo who has been both a hero and villain and often seems to be an overbearing presence on his teammates. Ronaldo rescued them in their final group game against Hungary, scoring twice to earn them a 3-3 draw and also set up the late winner over Croatia in the second round. The Portuguese have yet to put in a really convincing performance and all four of their games have been drawn after 90 minutes.

Wales: The Bale show 

Wales have been propelled into the last-eight on the shoulders of the world’s most expensive player Gareth Bale, whose three goals helped them top their qualifying group and made him the tournament’s joint top scorer. The midfield axis of Liverpool’s Joe Allen and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey have also performed an excellent job in providing a stable foundation and feeding Bale. — Reuters