Portugal v Slovenia LIVE: Result as Diogo Costa saves Cristiano Ronaldo’s blushes in Euro 2024 penalty shootout
Cristiano Ronaldo and his talented Portugal team booked a quarter-final place at Euro 2024
Bernardo Silva struck the winning spot kick and Diogo Costa made three saves as Portugal won a penalty shootout 3-0 against battling Slovenia to reach the quarter-finals at Euro 2024 where they will meet France.
After a scoreless 90 minutes, Cristiano Ronaldo had a chance to put Portugal ahead from the penalty spot in the first half of extra time, but Jan Oblak saved brilliantly to leave the Portuguese captain in tears.
Neither side could fashion a goal and the game went to penalties, with Josep Ilicic having the first kick saved for the Slovenians before Ronaldo put his side ahead, and when Jure Balkovec’s spot kick was saved the writing was on the wall.
Costa then saved from Benjamin Verbic, setting Silva up to confidently slot home the winner to put Portugal through to the last eight and a meeting with the French in Hamburg on Friday.
Follow all the reaction from Portugal v Slovenia in Frankfurt below.
SAVED! Josip Ilicic misses (Portugal* 0-0 Slovenia)
Diogo Costa leaps to his left and keeps it out!
Penalties...
Cristiano Ronaldo tries to steady himself. He will surely take one, but when? Daniele Orsato brings him and Jan Oblak in for a chat and a toss of a coin.
Slovenia will take the first penalty. Josip Ilicic places the ball on the spot...
Penalties!
Slovenia manager Matjaz Kek can only watched on, banished to the stands as Jan Oblak leads the team talk in his absence. What a performance from the captain, and, indeed, the entire side. They’ve given themselves a shot.
You’d make Portugal’s array of penalty-takers the favourites - but they’ve already missed one.
Portugal 0-0 Slovenia, 120 minutes
We’re approaching two hours of goalless football yet the audience is entirely enrapt. Slovenia concede a corner, but Benjamin Verbic makes an outstanding challenge on Francisco Conceicao after it is played short.
One more minute before spot kicks.
Portugal 0-0 Slovenia, 117 minutes
Pepe lasts little longer. Ruben Neves is on for him, presumably with penalties in mind, and Nelson Semedo takes the place of Joao Cancelo.
Portugal 0-0 Slovenia, 115 minutes
What a stop from Diogo Costa to save Portugal from disaster! Pepe makes a cataclysmic error, dallying on the ball and then losing it entirely, and Benjamin Sesko is in. It’s the kind of finish that the striker will have executed so many times in his life, slotting it low past an onrushing keeper, but Costa extends a limb to block it brilliantly!
What drama! And we’re far from done...
Portugal 0-0 Slovenia, 114 minutes
Ilicic skips inside Nuno Mendes and tries to send Zan Karnicnik onwards, but overhits his pass. Slovenia look the fresher side, though.
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