Portugal face Slovenia in the round of 16 of EURO 2024. Cristiano Ronaldo missed the chance to score his first goal of the tournament from the penalty spot. However, Portugal still won the match and qualified for the quarter-finals.
After the opening whistle, Portugal quickly took control of the game on the field. Ronaldo had two notable plays but he missed his header and had poor ball control.
Portugal actually played very well, with 70% possession. However, trying to pass the ball to Ronaldo made the team easy to predict.
Ronaldo has not scored at EURO 2024.
On the other side of the front line, the Slovenian team still played the football they pursued from the group stage. The Eastern European representative did not need to control the ball much. They actively followed their opponents, waiting for counter-attacks.
However, striker Benjamin Sesko is too isolated. He holds the ball and dribbles very well but has difficulty coordinating with teammates.
The first half passed without any goals being scored. In the second half, tactical adjustments helped the Slovenian team improve their game.
In the 49th minute, they had an impressive corner kick combination but their finishing was not good. After that, Sesko continuously harassed the Portuguese defense but his efforts were not enough to make the opponent collapse.
In the 55th minute, Ronaldo continued to have a chance to take a free kick but Jan Oblak easily blocked it. 6 minutes later, Slovenia created the most remarkable move. Sesko dribbled from midfield, he accelerated past Pepe but his shot when facing the goalkeeper was not good.
Goalkeeper Oblak saves Ronaldo's penalty kick.
In the remaining time, the Portuguese team still dominated the game but the attack line lost the necessary connection. They were much more deadlocked than in the first 45 minutes.
In the 89th minute, Jota passed the ball to Ronaldo but the striker's shot was too weak. The match had to go into extra time.
In the first extra time, Jota won a penalty for Portugal when he was fouled in the box. However, Ronaldo missed the shot. The 39-year-old superstar has yet to score his first goal at EURO 2024.
In the second extra time, it was Slovenia's turn to regret. In the 114th minute, Pepe made a fatal mistake, Sesko stole the ball and faced Costa but this striker was also unsuccessful.
The match between the two teams went into a penalty shootout. Portugal succeeded in the first three kicks while Slovenia missed all three. Ronaldo and his teammates advanced to the quarter-finals and met France.
| Portugal | 0-0 (3-0) | Slovenia |
| Ronaldo, Fernandes, Silva | Score | |
| 19 | Shoot | 10 |
| 11 | Corner kick | 4 |
| 1 | Yellow card | 4 |
| 0 | Red card | 1 |
Source
Comment (0)