Portugal had a big scare against Slovenia but the penalty shootout smiled on the Seleçao thanks to a simply perfect Diogo Costa (0-0, 3 tabs to 0). Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in extra time but took his revenge.
After qualifying after a boring match, the French team was now waiting for its opponent for the quarter-finals. After a goalless draw, it took an incredible penalty shootout for the Portugal does not come to the end of the Slovenia (0-0, 3 tabs to 0).
Portugal dominates without scoring
From the outset, Bruno Fernandes delivered an excellent cross into the box, which lobbed Cristiano Ronaldo but which was taken over by Rafael Leao who was able to cut the trajectory as he wanted (4th). On the corner that followed, Ruben Dias missed the target, alone at the second post (5th). The Portuguese domination continued. Leao made a difference in the middle and served Ronaldo, who did not control sharp enough to follow up (8th). Forced to run, the Slovenians were late in their replacement. Bernardo Silva had space to send in a perfect left-footed cross but neither Ronado nor Fernandes at the far post were able to take it (13th).
Apart from a minor misunderstanding in the defence, quickly corrected by Diogo Costa (21st), the Slovenians mainly focused on closing the passing lines, which allowed the score to remain unchanged. Vanja Drkusic hampered Ronaldo, who was launched to head a cross from Joao Cancelo (31st). On the other hand, he committed a foul on Leao which earned him a free kick at the edge of the area and a warning (32nd). CR7 sent an exocet which flirted with the crossbar while Jan Oblak was on the trajectory (33rd).
The captain then followed in the footsteps of Leao, unstoppable and full of power and although he only won a corner, the Rossonero still wore down the opposing rearguard. In continuity, Little Vitinha looked for Ronaldo but he triggered his jump a tenth late and missed the ball (36th).
If the Seleçao were close to opening the score, Petar Stojanovic accelerated then centered back for Andraz Sporar who was quite surprised to see Nuno Mendes pick it up (39th). After a recovery in the center circle, Benjamin Sesko tried from more than 30 meters, directly on Costa (44th).
Portugal did not return to the locker room with this mixed impression. On the left side, Leao and Cristiano played the one-two, the former Lille player showed his power before finding John Palhinha back. The defensive midfielder saw his shot hit Oblak’s post (45th+2).
Slovenia imposes its false rhythm
Cancelo opened the second half with a rush down the right and a cross pushed back by the defense to B. Silva who sent a shot wide (47th). This lack of realism caused a few cold sweats, especially on a seemingly not very dangerous header from Sesko that Costa feared would end up in the back of the net (49th).
Cancelo won a free kick in the middle, which allowed Ronaldo to send another shot, directly to Oblak who parried with his palms (54th). The right-back continued his undermining work, but his overflow did not have the expected end (56th).
However, the score remained nil-nil. Impeccable since the start of the Euro and this 1/8 final, Pepe showed his age when Sesko got past him but, in the position of last defender, he was content to offset the Slovenian attacker without committing a foul, which resulted in a shot that was too crossed and too weak (61st).
It was looking more and more like the first match against the Czech Republic. Roberto Martinez then took out Vitinha for the benefit of Diogo Jota (65th). Ronaldo was awarded another free kick in the middle, this time from 25 metres out, and he was no more successful, his shot going into the stands (72nd).
While Matjaz Cake made a double change, replacing Sporar and Jan Mlakar par Jon Gorenc Stankovic et Zan Celar (74th), his counterpart launched Francisco Conceição in place of Leao (75th). Ten minutes later, Stojanovic gave way to Benjamin Verbic (87e).
Extra time was looming when Jota recovered a ball on the left side at the halfway line and then delivered a perfect pass to Ronaldo who had the match ball at the end of his foot but Oblak intervened (89th).
After a pair of sharp interventions from Pepe and a final Portuguese corner which found no taker, Daniele Orsato the end of regulation time was whistled.
Oblak scores a penalty by Ronaldo!
Slovenia still had 30 minutes to hold out to succeed in their gamble. After Cancelo lost the ball, Verbic had a real chance to score but Dias stepped in to deflect it (95th).
The Seleçao offered almost nothing. On a corner taken in several stages, Jota imposed himself with a header but the ball arrived calmly in Oblak’s gloves (100th). And then Jota woke his team from its torpor. On a breakthrough, the Liverpool player provoked a foul from Drkusic and a penalty (104th). Ronaldo came close… and Oblak deflected the attempt (105th)! At half-time, CR7, in tears, was comforted by his teammates.
Josip Ilicic came on to play the last quarter of an hour, replacing Elsnik (106th). After a gross foul by Jure Balkovec on Cancelo, Fernandes found Palhinha’s head: it was on target but Oblak was watching (108th).
The tension was at its peak. This time, it was Jota who committed a foul, on Verbic. At the edge of the area, Ilicic sent the ball into the wall (112th).
Exceptional since the kick-off, Pepe made a huge blunder that benefited Sesko. Coin flip, Costa won his duel, with a perfect foot save (115th). The veteran was replaced in the process along with Cancelo by Nelson Semedo et Ruben Neves (118th). No providential goal will prevent a penalty shootout.
Costa recites his 3 times table
Facing the Portuguese turn, Ilicic struck first: Costa deflected the left-hander’s attempt. Ronaldo came back in front of Oblak and… CR7 found the side netting while the goalkeeper had gone the right way. The mark of a champion. Then Balkovec in turn suffered Costa’s law. Absent from the debates for many minutes, Fernandes did not tremble while Oblak remained in the center of his goal. And Verbic? Checked again by Costa! Then Silva took Oblak the wrong way to validate the qualification of the Seleçao in the quarter-finals.
The grand finale was the polar opposite of the 120 minutes of play that were just as painful to watch as France-Belgium. Will this be a seminal victory for Portugal? The answer will be on Friday against Les Bleus in a rematch of the Euro 2016 final.
