Contest & Time:
Euro 2024, 1/8 Finals (Match 6)
2024.07.02 03:00, Portugal vs Slovenia
Score prediction: Portugal 2:0, 2:1, 3:1 Slovenia (win, draw)
It's another set of matchups with obvious polar differences, will it remind people of England's game in the early hours of this morning?
ACCORDING TO THE PROBABILITIES OF PORTUGAL AND SLOVENIA PUBLISHED BY FOOTBALL MEDIA OUTLETS SCORE 90 AND LIVE SCORE, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS ANOTHER SET OF MATCHES THAT WILL SEND SLOVENIA HOME DIRECTLY WITHIN 90 MINUTES WITHOUT SUSPENSE.
So, such a game is reminiscent of England's match against Slovakia this morning. is also the huge disparity in strength before the game, the same huge difference in the probability of promotion, and the same home team has a super luxury offensive line......
Therefore, if Portugal wants to play this game well, the attitude towards Cristiano Ronaldo will be an important factor in determining the trend of the game. After all, if you still want to end the attack around Cristiano Ronaldo, then Portugal can't go far. But if this intellectual baggage can be discarded, Portugal is worth looking forward to;
Here in Slovenia, whether or not Portugal can press enough in midfield could be a trick for them to surprise and win. As for whether the stubborn defense can withstand it, it may depend on the manager's arrangement, after all, the team's offensive advantage is indeed lackluster.
Portugal
If the whole team still has to serve one person, then the game can only hope for a draw or a lore. But, if you lose this baggage......
First of all, Portugal's 0:2 defeat to Georgia in the third round of the group stage must not be used as a reference to deal with the next games, otherwise it will inevitably bring misunderstanding and misleading. After all, Spain's 4:1 victory over Georgia in the early hours of this morning actually illustrates some problems - in this 0:2 game, Portugal sent a substitute lineup, and the desire to win is obviously not as high as the opponent's.
But at present, Portugal's problems still exist and are difficult to solve!
In the case of two consecutive wins and early promotion, Ronaldo, who still chose to start, can actually see his infinite desire for goals and record-breaking, and to a certain extent, even more than his attention to the game.
Therefore, if Ronaldo is defined as the current "cancer" of Portugal, although it is too exaggerated, it is not exaggerated. Because the most obvious characteristic of this team in the group stage is timidity and hesitation.
It seems that the opportunity to shoot always has to consider Ronaldo, and if there can be other routes, you can't forget to observe Ronaldo's running, and the first thing to do when you come to the vicinity of the penalty area is to look at Ronaldo's position to decide the next course of action......
Therefore, the result of this kind of game is that Ronaldo is unhappy and the team is even more awkward. Therefore, whether or not Portugal's players dare to unload their mental baggage on the pitch is actually more important than considering their tactics and form.
Slovenia
Positioning depth will certainly be the main tactic, but the variables may lie in the interception of the midfield and the pressing of the front court in the period of time
In the three group games, Slovenia's expected goals in a single game were only about 1.5 at the highest, the number of shots on goal was only 12 at most, and the possession rate never exceeded 40%.
Therefore, playing defensive counter-attacks or taking advantage of set-pieces in front of the court is still the only tactic for this team. Moreover, the weak team faces the strong team, in fact, what is repeatedly said is a common truth: the time to concede the goal is sooner or later.
After all, the biggest difference between the group stage and the knockout stage, especially for the weak teams, is often the timing of this breath. Once this equilibrium is upset prematurely, the next trend is to keep losing balance and eventually topple.
So, Slovenia actually need to make some strategic changes on their own - tough interceptions in the midfield or pressing in the front. If they all deal with this game with a balanced attitude, in fact, when the team is passive, it will be difficult for them to transform the initiative.
Of course, Oblak's meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo will also be a highlight of the game. As two sides who have met many times in La Liga or the Champions League, in fact, the two must know each other very well about their respective characteristics and habits.
Therefore, Oblak, as Slovenia's anchor, will determine the team's outcome in this game. As long as the score is not rewritten in the first 70 minutes, such a game is bound to be unpredictable!
Cristiano Ronaldo, can this game be opened in the European Cup?
It is likely to be a battle between attack and defense at half-time, and Portugal will certainly press to get some free-kicks and even a penalty through VAR assists. Therefore, the best way to break the density is undoubtedly to change the trend of the game through the flash of personal ability.
In such a situation, Ronaldo will be more likely to score in this game.
However, in the case of sports warfare, this probability may be reduced. After all, Slovenia's ultra-dense defense is bound to compress the advance and passing of the ball. And this also reminds Portugal that perhaps increasing the number of long-range shots in this game will help the team bring more threats and changes in the final score!