Mathieu Warnier, Media365: published on Tuesday July 2, 2024 at 12:15 a.m.
Discover our tops and flops following Portugal’s qualification at the expense of Slovenia (0-0, 3-0 on penalties) on the pitch at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt as part of the round of 16 of Euro 2024.
The tops
Oblak held firm
If Portugal remained silent for 120 minutes, it was largely thanks to the XXL performance of Jan Oblak. The Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper turned into a real wall against Diogo Jota and, especially, Cristiano Ronaldo. The penalty saved at the end of the first period of extra time perfectly sums up the Slovenian captain’s match, he who disgusted an entire country, even drawing tears from “CR7”.
Diogo Costa relentless on penalty kicks
But, during the penalty shootout, it was all about Diogo Costa. The FC Porto goalkeeper pulled off the feat of stopping the attempts of Josip Illicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbic to make life easier for his teammates, who then came face to face with Jan Oblak. Portugal owes a lot to their last defender, as this qualification for the quarter-finals was obtained by a hair’s breadth.
Balkovec et Karnicnik costauds
While the Slovenian central defence sometimes suffered, the same was not true for Jure Balkovec and Zan Karnicnik. Indeed, the two Slovenian full-backs played an admirable game against a Rafael Leão who did not have his usual weight, and Bernardo Silva, unable to lead the game of a Portugal team far from the level announced by one of its members.
The flops
Sesko and bandage
He could have been Slovenia’s hero. Benjamin Sesko had a “match ball” twice against Diogo Costa. Both at the hour mark on a well-executed counterattack and at the end of extra time after a mistake by Pepe, the RB Leipzig striker lacked success in front of the Portuguese goal. Failures which, in the end, probably closed the door to the quarter-finals to Slovenia.
Bruno Fernandes not having a great night
A regular hub of the Portuguese selection, Bruno Fernandes failed this Monday against Slovenia. The Manchester United player did not weigh on his team’s game, lacking commitment in duels and precision on crosses. He also let too many balls slip during the 120 minutes. However, he was able to recover when, during the penalty shootout, he had to face Jan Oblak.
Cristiano Ronaldo could have been expensive
This evening will not remain in Cristiano Ronaldo’s memory. The Portuguese captain was fragile against Jan Oblak during regulation time and extra time, seeing the Slovenian goalkeeper have the advantage on four occasions, including a penalty that brought tears to “CR7”. In his role as leader until the end, the Al-Nassr striker led the way during the penalty shootout, an opportunity to recover and even apologize to his supporters.
