Croatia
Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Portugal0 - 0Slovenia

sportsmole.co.uk, 1 July 2024, 22:44
Portugal held their nerve to prevail in a penalty shootout against Slovenia and set up a quarter-final clash with France at Euro 2024.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears when he saw his 115th-minute penalty saved by Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

However, the experienced forward redeemed himself in the shootout, scoring one of three penalties as Diogo Costa made three crucial stops to send his country through to the quarter-finals.

Here, Sports Mole provides an in-depth analysis of the encounter, including highlights, man of the match and the best statistics from a gripping last-16 tie.

HIGHLIGHTS

13th min: A let-off for Slovenia as Bernardo Silva sends an inswinging cross towards Bruno Fernandes at the far post, but the teasing delivery just evades the outstretched Manchester United midfielder.

31st min: Ronaldo fails to make a meaningful connection with his attempted header, allowing Oblak to comfortably gather.

34th min: Close from the Portuguese icon. Ronaldo rifles one of his trademark free kicks over the crossbar.

44th min: A warning shot from Slovenia as Benjamin Sesko winds up a long-range strike to force Costa into a rare moment of action.

45+2 min: Upright rattled! Joao Palhinha runs onto Rafael Leao's neat cutback before drilling a low shot against the outside of the post.

HALF TIME: PORTUGAL 0-0 SLOVENIA

47th min: Joao Cancelo showcases his nimble footwork to drive into the box, before his cross breaks to Silva, who fails to hit the target with a wild left-footed strike.

55th min: Ronaldo threatens with another free kick. The 39-year-old takes a deep breath before running up to unleash another thumping effort, forcing Oblak to beat the ball away from danger.

62nd min: The Slovenian gameplan nearly bears fruit as Sesko wins the footrace with Pepe to break into the box, but he fluffs his lines at the crucial moment, dragging his left-footed shot harmlessly wide of Costa's goal.

72nd min: Ronaldo is back standing over another free kick. This one is a little further back than his previous effort, and it proved to be an anti-climatic one as he lashes the ball over the crossbar.

89th min: A late chance goes begging as Ronaldo fires straight at Oblak after latching onto Diogo Jota's well-weighted through-ball.

FULL TIME: PORTUGAL 0-0 SLOVENIA

100th min: First real sight of goal in extra time. Jota rises to meet Francisco Conceicao's lofted cross, but he can only direct a tame header at Oblak.

105th min: What drama! Ronaldo misses from the spot! The referee awards a penalty after penalising Vanja Drkusic for a foul on Jota. Ronaldo steps up to see his spot kick brilliantly saved by Oblak.

108th min: Buoyed from his penalty stop, Oblak makes another smart save to tip the ball over from Palhinha's header.

115th min: Sesko spurns the chance to win it. A mistake from Pepe allows the RB Leipzig forward to run through on goal, only for Costa to make a crucial save to prevent Slovenia from netting a dramatic winner.

FULL TIME IN EXTRA TIME: PORTUGAL 0-0 SLOVENIA

Penalty Shootout: Ronaldo, Fernandes and Silva all convert from the spot, while Costa denies Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbic.

PORTUGAL WIN 3-0 ON PENALTIES

MAN OF THE MATCH - DIOGO COSTA

Costa was a mere spectator for the majority of the contest, making just two saves in 120 minutes of gripping action.

However, one of those stops proved to be pivotal as Costa showcased his quick reactions to prevent Sesko from winning the game in the 115th minute.

The Porto goalkeeper then backed up that important intervention by making three more saves in the penalty shootout to end Slovenia's memorable journey and send his country through to the quarter-finals.

STANDOUT MOMENT

It is a moment that Ronaldo will want to forget, but his penalty miss will go down as one of the most dramatic moments of Euro 2024.

The 39-year-old stepped up to strike his spot kick to the goalkeeper's left, and Oblak guessed the right way to push the ball onto the post to keep his country in the contest.

Ronaldo was left in tears at the half-time break in extra time as he reflected on his miss and wondered whether it would be a costly one.

Fortunately for him, he was given the chance to quickly make amends, scoring Portugal's first penalty in the shootout to help his country advance to the next round.

BEST STATS

MATCH STATS

Possession: Portugal 72%-28% Slovenia

Shots: Portugal 20-10 Slovenia

Shots on target: Portugal 6-2 Slovenia

Corners: Portugal 11-4 Slovenia

Fouls: Portugal 8-17 Slovenia

LINEUPS

PORTUGAL (4-3-3): Costa; Cancelo (Semedo 117'), Dias, Pepe (Neves 118'), Mendes; Fernandes, Palhinha, Vitinha (Jota 65'); B Silva, Leao (Conceicao 76'), Ronaldo

SLOVENIA (4-4-2): Oblak; Karnicnik, Drkusic, Bijol, Balkovec; Stojanovic (Verbic 86'), Gnezda Cerin, Elsnik (Ilicic 106'), Mlakar (Gorenc Stankovic 74'); Sporar (Celar 74'), Sesko

Top News

23 December 2024 talksport.com Michael Owen has slammed the Aston Villa supporters who booed Jack Grealish - and told them to 'hang your heads in shame'. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Former Manchester City star Jesus Navas couldn't hold back the tears as he was given an emotional send-off before his retirement. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that he expects Bukayo Saka to be out for "many weeks" with the hamstring injury he suffered in Saturday's 5-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly struggling to attract offers for one of their fringe players ahead of the January transfer window. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Gareth Southgate had an Adele hit on repeat before stepping down as England manager. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is set to be ruled out until February, talkSPORT understands. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly identified a Sporting Lisbon youngster as a potential signing for Strasbourg. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Big things were expected of Marko Mitrovic when he joined Chelsea as a 16-year-old in 2008. 23 December 2024 talksport.com talkSPORT has today announced that is has won radio rights to the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 coverage. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Boxing Day football is beloved by fans and one of the highlights of the Christmas schedule - but it can prove tricky for the players. 23 December 2024 talksport.com A handful of Premier League stars will be able to spend Christmas at home this year after receiving a Boxing Day ban. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea return to action on Boxing Day when they play host to local rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lisandro Martinez has claimed that Manchester United were "playing so well" before losing 3-0 to Bournemouth on Sunday. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has allegedly made a further two senior players available for transfer. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Arsenal have reportedly scouted Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui as an alternative transfer target to Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly discovered the asking price of Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Denis Suarez wasn't the player Arsenal fans wanted to sign - but he's the footballer supporters have a hard time in forgetting. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City will be aiming to avoid four straight defeats across all competitions when they welcome Everton to the Etihad in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After spending Christmas Day in the bottom half of the Premier League table, Tottenham Hotspur endeavour to atone for recent failings when they travel to Nottingham Forest for a Boxing Day battle. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After celebrating Christmas Day at the top of the Premier League table, Liverpool get back to business on Boxing Day, when they welcome Leicester City to Anfield. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The January transfer window is almost here and clubs around the UK and Europe are lining up moves as they look to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hatayspor vs. Adana Demirspor (Monday, 5.00pm) The battle of the bottom feeders in the Turkish Super Lig unfolds on Monday as Hatayspor host Adana Demirspor at the Mersin Stadyumu. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica vs. Estoril (Monday, 6.45pm) Separated by 10 places in the Primeira Liga table before gameweek 15, second-placed Benfica are clear favourites to outdo Estoril Praia at Estadio da Luz on Monday. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fiorentina vs. Udinese (Monday, 5.30pm) After their incredible success streak was finally brought to an end last week, Fiorentina will aim to start another winning run on Monday, when they meet Udinese. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Yemen and Saudi Arabia will celebrate Christmas Day by facing each other on matchday two of the Arabian Gulf Cup on Wednesday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Yemen and Saudi Arabia will celebrate Christmas Day by facing each other on matchday two of the Arabian Gulf Cup on Wednesday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk First place in Group B of the Arabian Gulf Cup will be at stake on Wednesday as Bahrain and Iraq celebrate Christmas Day at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United transfer target Randal Kolo Muani is very likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window, according to reports. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly set their sights on West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus, with Pep Guardiola keen to strengthen his struggling squad. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly set to rival Arsenal for the signature of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer of 2025.