TOULOUSE: For a team at the Euro 2016, being the clear favourites to reach the quarter-finals surely has to be a good thing. That’s not how Belgium see it.

At least in public, their players and coaching staff appear wary as they prepare for Sunday’s round of 16 match against undefeated Hungary.

Led by the likes of Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium are among the teams being tipped to win Euro 2016, while Hungary are playing at their first major tournament since the 1986 World Cup.

However, the Hungarians have already caused one upset at the tournament by finishing top of Group ‘F’ after a thrilling 3-3 draw with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in their final group match.

Now they are looking to defy the odds a second time.

Belgium finished second in Group ‘E’ after an opening defeat by Italy, but coach Marc Wilmots refuses to see it as a blessing in disguise, even if the draw means they will avoid Spain, Germany, France, England and the Italians until the final.

“Have you not been watching the European Champion­ships?” he said when asked about the threat of Hungary.

“Did you see the Hunga­rians against Portugal? Balazs Dzsudzsak, Adam Szalai, Krisztian Nemeth... lots of top players.

“These are games in which you have nothing to lose. Matches like we played against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup are nicer.

“In this Euro there are no easy games, no small teams. You [media] were also laughing when Wales beat us [in the qualifiers], but look at where they are now. ”

For their part, Hungary’s players are equally determined not to get carried away by having finished top of their group ahead of Iceland, Portugal and Austria.

Instead, a side without any big-name players is counting on team spirit to secure an unlikely place in the quarter-finals.

“We still don’t believe that we are the best,” captain Balazs Dzsudzsak said. “We are trying to handle things and live the moment with calm.”

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2016