Euro 2024 1/8 finals, Portugal vs. Slovenia. In the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick was dangerous, Palhinha hit the post, and Portugal failed to break the Slovenian goal. In the second half, Sesco missed a single shot, and Ronaldo missed the winner in the 89th minute of regular time. In extra time, Ronaldo missed a penalty and shed tears! In the end, through the penalty shootout, Portugal thrillingly eliminated Slovenia to advance to the quarterfinals, and the two goalkeepers Oblak and Costa were both gods!
Portugal finished top of Group F with two wins and one defeat in the group stage, losing a 2-0 upset defeat to European Championship newcomers Georgia in the final round, when Portugal made a heavy rotation after already qualifying. Slovenia, on the other hand, finished third in Group C with three draws in the group stage and advanced to the round of 16 with four better third-place finishes. Portugal and Slovenia met once in March, when Portugal suffered a shock 2-0 defeat, with both goals scored on counter-attacks. Judging from the performance of this European Cup, Slovenia is a team with high tactical literacy, and of course, in terms of overall strength, Portugal is obviously stronger than its opponents.
In this campaign, Portugal coach Martinez adopted a more pragmatic 4-3-3 starting formation, abandoning the previous three-center-back system with a low winning rate, Ronaldo led the front, partnered with Leao and B, B Fei led the midfield, and B non-partner Vitinha and Palhinha, on the backline, 40-year-old veterans Pepe and Dias formed a double central defender, Mendes and Cancelo were separated on both sides, and Costa guarded the goal. Slovenia lined up a 4-4-2 starting formation, with Oblak guarding the goal, and since the group stage, such a starting line has not changed, but this game, due to the suspension of Janza, Slovenian coach Mathiaz Koke had to make a passive personnel adjustment.
After the opening, Slovenia showed their toughness, and the front court pressed fiercely! Cristiano Ronaldo was active, breaking away from the defense with a continuous juggling ball, outflanking the ball by a fraction of a second, and hitting the goal with a powerful free kick was very threatening. The Portuguese team set off a continuous offensive climax, and won another free kick on the left side of the front, and Ronaldo passed to the back point, but the power was too great and went directly out of the bottom line. Back in the day, Slovenia also created a threat as Mendes made a crucial clearance. Towards the end of the first half, Portugal made a series of mistakes, Slovenia had chances in succession, and Sesko tested Portuguese goalkeeper Costa with a cold arrow from the outside. In the first half stoppage time, Palhinha fired a long-range shot at the neutral post.
Portugal took the lead in creating a threat, Cancelo broke through the ribs, and the B seat followed up with a shot over the crossbar. In the 55th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo took a free kick and Oblak blocked the ball. In the 61st minute, Slovenia's long pass counterattacked, and Sesko's one-handed shot was deflected wide of the goal under Pepe's interference. In the 74th minute, Cancelo crossed, and the header of seat B failed to touch the ball. In the 89th minute, the Portuguese team broke the ball in front, Ronaldo shot single-handedly, Oblak bravely saved, and Ronaldo missed the opportunity to kill the game in regular time! In stoppage time, Slovenia's defence remained solid, and after defusing Portugal's last corner, the referee blew the whistle and drew 0-0 in normal time.
In extra time, Slovenia took the lead, Verbic shot wide of the Portuguese player, and Stankovic's long-range shot was also wide. Jota made a penalty, and in the 105th minute, Oblak saved the penalty kick taken by Ronaldo, Oblak was a god, and Ronaldo, who missed the penalty, shed tears. In the 109th minute, Slovenian coach Mathiaz Koke was sent off with a red card. In the 115th minute, Pepe made a mistake, Sesco missed a super one-on-one, and Costa saved Portugal. After extra time, the score was still 0-0. In the penalty shootout, Costa saved the first 3 penalties of Slovenia in a row, and Portugal finally won 3-0!