Portugal and Slovenia faced off in the quarter-finals of European football, and it was a thrilling match that went down in history, not only because of the fierce rivalry between the two teams, but also because of the two superstars – Cristiano Ronaldo and Costa – who wrote their own legends in their own unique ways.
As the soul of the Portuguese team, Ronaldo has always been known for his calmness and precision. In this game, the Slovenian team's defense was like an impregnable iron wall, so that Ronaldo's every attempt failed to break his solid defense.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a great chance late in regulation time when he missed a set-piece at the top of the arc but failed to find it in the back of the net and the ball flew just over the crossbar. The blow made Portugal's fans anxious and made the atmosphere even more tense.
The game entered overtime, and the two sides launched a more fierce competition. In the 105th minute, when the penalty was awarded, all eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo, but fate seemed to be working against him, and his shot was saved by Slovenian goalkeeper Oblak with amazing reaction speed.
The huge pressure made Ronaldo lose control of his emotions and cry before the game was over, and at that moment, he seemed to have taken off all his pretense and strength, showing his fragile and true side as an ordinary person. His teammates stepped forward to comfort him, but the regret and self-blame in his heart were difficult to settle.
Just when everyone thought Portugal was about to fall into a desperate situation, Costa, the usually unknown goalkeeper, showed amazing quality, and he was like a rebirth at the crucial moment, saving Slovenia's first three penalties in a row to set a European Championship record.
His performance seemed to stop time and became a hero on the field, Costa saved the Portuguese team with his own actions, and also laid a solid foundation for the team's final victory, and the morale of the Portuguese team was greatly boosted in the subsequent game, Ronaldo, B Fei, B Xi and other players hit penalties to finally eliminate Slovenia with a score of 3-0.
The victory was hard-won, the Portuguese players hugged together excitedly to celebrate the moment, Costa was also voted the best player of the match without any suspense, his performance was amazing, and in the post-match interview, Ronaldo was full of emotion, he said: "From the initial sadness to the final joy, this is football, a penalty in extra time could have given the team an advantage, but it was blocked by Oblak. I haven't missed a penalty once before in the year. Just when I needed to score a goal, Oblak made a save, which was a sad and happy moment. But most importantly, our team qualified, and we really deserve it. ”
It was a thrilling match that allowed us to witness the magic of Costa, who used their sweat and hard work to win for the Portuguese team, and also brought an unforgettable football feast for the fans
In the world of football, nothing is impossible, as long as we have dreams, courage and determination, we will be able to create our own miracles, this pinnacle matchup will forever remain in the memory of fans, becoming a classic in the history of the European Championship is endlessly evocative!