On a night of high tension in Frankfurt, Portugal advanced to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 by narrowly beating Slovenia in a penalty shootout. That match ended goalless at full-time and extra time resulting into penalties drama.
Ronaldo’s High Drama and Missed Penalty
The game was a cagey affair with few obvious chances. Cristiano Ronaldo fired Jan Oblak blocked a penalty from him in the first half of extra time as he wanted to increase his numbers further. This had an impact on the Portuguese captain as he was emotional during halftime.
Slovenia Hold Firm but Falter in Penalties
Portugal however did not let the incident destabilize them; they were resolute at the back line. For their part, Slovenia failed to capitalize on this golden opportunity when Benjamin Sesko missed towards the end of extra time.
Ronaldo’s Redemption as Portugal Triumph
Penalties proved to be Slovenia’s undoing. Contrasting sharply with three misses from Maroon, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo gave Portugal clinical superiority over its opponent. In addition, Diogo Costa showed his prowess by making three superb saves thereby propelling Portugal forward.
What Comes Next?
Portugal will now face their biggest challenge so far in this tournament when they take on France in the quarterfinals. This is going to be a repeat of Euro 2016 final which marked memorable victory for Portugal during that championship season
Slovenia can be proud of themselves despite this heartbreaking exit. They showed great spirit and created issues for even a strong Portuguese team with full potential for causing major problems.