At 3 a.m. on July 2, the 1/8 finals of the European Championship will usher in a key battle, with Portugal, the 2016 champion and world No. 6, facing Slovenia, who have drawn three consecutive group stage matches to advance to the round of 16. And the battle between Ronaldo and Oblak, the "spear" and "shield", will ultimately be related to the direction and result of this game.
In the 3 group games, Portugal had both joys and sorrows. The good news is that the team's tactical play is mature and the talent pool is sufficient. In the first game against the Czech Republic, two substitutes, Neto and Conceição Jr., combined to score the winner. In the second game against Turkey, Palhina's appearance made the Portuguese stars, who are known for their skills, straighten their waists, and the team has the confidence to play a tough battle. In the final round, he played against Georgia without desire and gave the opponent a 0-2 favor, and by the way, he trained the rookie team.
It is a little regrettable for fans that although the number one star Cristiano Ronaldo became the joint all-time assist leader in the European Championship against Turkey, their star did not score in three games, and his all-time European Championship goal record was stuck at 14 goals.
Some media took this opportunity to make waves, suggesting that Ronaldo should be on the bench in the 1/8 final against Slovenia and replaced with Gonzalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick in the knockout round of the 2022 World Cup against Switzerland, to increase the speed and speed of Portugal's attack.
However, Portugal coach Martinez and teammates Fernando Fernandes and Pepe all refuted this view before the game. The 41-year-old said: Ronaldo is a man who lives to score goals, he will perform well in the knockout stage and can bring a lot of good things to this Portuguese team. Fernandes was even more blunt: Cristiano Ronaldo's selfless assist for his goal against Turkey proved that he is a man who wants the team more than the individual to succeed.
In UEFA's prediction of the starting lineup for this game, Ronaldo is also impressively listed. It will be the 39-year-old's 29th appearance at the European Championships, with 27 of those appearances coming as a starter. In the first 28 games, he scored 14 goals and had eight assists. Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to score his 15th European Championship goal at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt tonight.
And two sets of data also prove that Ronaldo deserves to start:
1. Tonight's 1/8 final is the 22nd meeting between Ronaldo and Slovenian goalkeeper Oblak. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 11 goals against Oblak on 21 previous occasions, including a decisive penalty shoot-out in the 2015/2016 Champions League final. At the same time, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a single game against Oblak, who guarded the door of Atletico Madrid, during his time at Real Madrid and Juventus.
In the group stage of Group 2.3, Ronaldo provided one assist, and as many as six key passes helped his teammates get the chance to score. Especially in the first 2-1 reversal against the Czech Republic, Ronaldo made 22 passes and 22 feet, and the 100% success rate was amazing. "The older he gets, the more demonic he becomes", he understands that the more he competes, the more he needs his experience and selfless dedication on the field to help the team succeed.
The poster of the 1/8 final released by the Portuguese team before the game