Portugal laboured through more than two-hours of gruelling struggle against Slovenia to secure their Euro 2024 quarter-final spot. Both teams kept attacking each other throughout normal time, but goalkeepers from both sides performed to their very best. The game went down to the wire with penalty shootouts before the 2016 champions swept a 3-0 win to progress to the quarter-final.
Portugal vs Slovenia Highlights
1- KICKOFF: Referee Daniele Orsato blows the whistle
9′ – BLOCKED: Rafael Leao cut inside to have a better shooting space but Vanja Drkusic handled it well.
13′ – MISS: Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes failed to reach an accurate pass from Bernardo Silva, letting it pass without a single touch.
31′ – SAVE: Ronaldo got his head on the ball this time but he headed the ball right onto Jan Oblak’s hands.
43′ – SAVE: Benjamin Sesko fired an ambitious shot from long range but Diogo Costa was there to denied it.
45′ – HALFTIME: Portugal 0-0 Slovenia
55′ – SAVE: Jan Oblak makes a great save again, this time denying Ronaldo’s free-kick attempt.
51′ – MISS: Sesko made it into the box, dribbling past over Pepe before shooting the ball to the post.
72′ – CHANCE: Leao breaks into the box of Slovenia but Oblak get it under control.
90 – SECOND HALF: Portugal 0-0 Slovenia
104′ – PENALTY MISS: Ronaldo squandered a huge chance by missing a penalty from the spot.
109′ – SAVE: Ruben Dias launched a close-range header but Oblak was superbly saving it.
115′ – SAVE: Costa made another crucial save and this time denying Sesko’s attempt in one-on-one situation.
120+2′: END OF EXTRA TIME.
PENALTY SHOOTOUT
Josip Ilicic missed for Slovenia (0-0)
Cristiano scores this time to put Portugal ahead (1-0)
Jure Balkovec missed (1-0)
Bruno Fernandes found the back of the net (2-0)
Benjamin Verbic missed (2-0)
Bernardo Silva (3-0)
RESULT: Portugal 0 (3) – (0) 0 Slovenia
Player of the Match: Diogo Costa (Portugal)
Costa incredibly saved three penalties in the shootout to send Portugal into the quarter final. During normal time, he also made several crucial saves for his team.
Key Moments
Jan Oblak may have also performed well throughout the game, but Costa’s three saves were clearly more impactful and hence our pick for each key moment of this game!
Key Stats
Diogo Costa is the first goalkeeper in Euro history to make three saves in a penalty shootout.
Conclusion
With this result, Portugal will face France in the quarter-final, a repeat of the 2016 final.