Former Liverpool defender José Enrique has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to prove to his critics he is not finished by performing brilliantly in the Euro 2024 round of 16.
The 39-year-old forward featured in all three of Portugal’s group games, but for the first time in his career he finished the group stage of a major competition without scoring. The Al-Nassr star has been criticised for his struggles in front of goal, but in Enrique he has found a defender who has encouraged him to prove to his critics that he is far from finished when the knockout stages come around.
The former Spain full-back then predicted the outcome of the Selecao’s round of 16 tie against Slovenia, claiming that Ronaldo and co would win the match 1-0, with the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player scoring the winning goal.
Ronaldo finally a scorer?
Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, Enrique said: “ Portugal’s round of 16 match against Slovenia is the match where Cristiano Ronaldo will feature. He didn’t have the best group stage and was criticized for his performances. I don’t think Slovenia will be an easy match for Portugal, but I think they will win the match 1-0 with Cristiano scoring the winning goal. He will show up and prove his group stage detractors wrong, as he has done so often in the past. »
The veteran will hope to end his goal drought and become the first player in history to score in six different editions of the Euros when they face Slovenia in the round of 16 on Monday evening.
