The Portuguese national football team secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the Euro 2024 Championship by defeating Slovenia in the round of 16 on Monday, July 1st. The match took place in Frankfurt, Germany.
The game ended in a 0-0 draw after both regular and extra time. Despite dominating possession with 71% and having more shots on goal, Portugal could not capitalize on their advantage. Slovenia received five yellow cards and one red card, which was shown to their head coach, Matjaž Kek. The Portuguese coach, Roberto Martinez, received a yellow card. In the second half of extra time, Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty, which was saved by Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
The match was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout. Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved the first three penalties, while Oblak could not stop the attempts by Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva, leading to Portugal’s victory.
Portugal’s Dramatic Win
Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved three Slovenia penalties to secure a 3-0 shoot-out victory. Cristiano Ronaldo redeemed himself in the shoot-out after missing a penalty during the match. Portugal forward Ronaldo was emotional after his earlier miss but successfully converted his penalty in the shoot-out, helping his team advance.
Earlier the same day, France also advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Belgium 1-0. The match took place in Düsseldorf, and the only goal was an own goal by Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen in the 85th minute.
Euro 2024 in Germany: 51 Matches Across 10 Stadiums
The Euro 2024 Championship in Germany features a total of 51 matches across 10 stadiums. The cities hosting the most games are Berlin, Munich, and Dortmund, each with six matches. Stuttgart, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and Cologne will host five matches each, while Leipzig and Gelsenkirchen will host four each.
The round of 16 included the top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams. The Euro 2024 final will be held on July 14th at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany’s largest football arena.
Upcoming Clash with France
Portugal will face France in the quarterfinals on Friday in Hamburg, which will be a rematch of the 2016 final that Portugal won in Paris. This highly anticipated match is expected to be a thrilling encounter between two top teams.
