After regulation time and extra time ended goalless, with a penalty missed by Cristiano Ronaldo, the final penalty shootout will decide the second round of 16 match this Monday.
Unworthy pitch, Portuguese arrows, Slovenian counterattacks and superstar goalkeepers
Portugal is obviously the one making the game, showing all its ability in midfield keeping control of the game from the initial stages, but when Slovenia recovers the ball it becomes dangerous managing to cut through the Portuguese midfield more inclined to possession than containment. Palinha in front of the defense is the screen that allows to transform the defensive action into an offensive one.
The pitch in terrible conditions, with clods that rise up certainly does not favor the more technical Portuguese, who however when they manage to verticalize favoring the runs of Nuno Mendes and Leao on the left and the foil touches of Bernardo Silva and Cancelo on the right create panic in the Slovenian defense. In the second half Portugal accelerates in search of the goal to unlock the match and besieges the opponent’s half, but still exposes itself to Slovenian counterattacks, with Sesko who quickly drinks Pepe but shoots too wide.
Despite the danger, Martinez decides to go for an even more offensive formation with Diogo Jota taking Vitinha’s place. In the 89th minute Ronaldo has the clearest chance of regulation time on one of the rare errors of the Slovenian defense, but his powerful shot is blocked by Oblak. The Slovenian goalkeeper gets excited and frustrates the Portuguese again at the end of the first half of extra time, when he flies to deflect the penalty awarded for a foul on Diogo Jota. Too much for the nerves of the Portuguese star who cannot hold back the tears. On a mistake by Pepe, Sesko takes flight but shoots badly, missing the most glaring opportunity for Slovenia, also thanks to an excellent intervention by Diogo Costa.
After 120 minutes of goalless play, the match went to penalties and this time Ronaldo managed to beat Oblak with an angled shot. If the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper was the phenomenon first, in the penalty shootout it was his colleague Diogo Costa who made the difference by saving them all.
Ronaldo, I would like to but I can’t
Still dry in the tournament before this match, all eyes were on him, Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Real Madrid and Juventus star tries to light up immediately on a pass from Leao, but is closed down well by the Slovenian defense. On a nice cross from the right by Bernardo Silva, however, his leap is not worthy of his fame, the Portuguese does not even touch and the ball goes out wide. Movement and commitment are not lacking, so much so that the Al-Nassr striker also shows himself in some unexpected closures.
In the 30th minute, a Bernardo Silva-Cancelo combination brings a good cross, but the Portuguese hits it badly and the ball is easy prey for the goalkeeper. Shortly after, a free kick from the edge caused by Leao sends Oblak just over the crossbar. However, he misses once again with his head on a cross from Vitinha. In the second half, he tries again with a free kick: the first is a central blast on which Oblak punches, in the 72nd minute instead the ball ends up in the sky.
In the 89th minute, the Portuguese had the best chance of regulation time, freed up by a mistake by Karnicnik, but his shot was blocked by Oblak. At the end of the first half of extra time, the most bitter personal disappointment: on a penalty kick attempted after a foul by Diogo Jota, Ronaldo shot to the left of Oblak, who however deflected the shot with a flight. The Portuguese ended up in tears.
However, he took revenge on penalties, this time beating the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper and contributing to the Portuguese victory.
Leao overwhelming for a time
The Rossoneri start strong and with a personal action in the first minutes in percussion favors Ronaldo who however is closed by the Slovenian defense. As time passes however the Milan winger loses his shine because the Portuguese prefer to attack on the side of Bernardo Silva and Cancelo, He suddenly lights up again in a central progression in counterattack at the half hour that forces Drkusic to foul and yellow. Then with another overwhelming action, after a sombrero, he also forces Karnicnik to yellow.
At the end of the half he receives from Ronaldo and goes to the bottom, skips past a man and serves Palinha on the edge of the area who unleashes a shot that touches the base of Oblak’s post. In the second half he tries another acceleration but controls poorly in his attempt to dribble and takes the ball to the bottom. His match ends in the 75th minute, replaced by Francisco Conceição.
