Portugal Seeks Redemption Against Slovenia In Euro 2024 Knockout Stage

Portugal's centre-back Pepe acknowledges that more effort will be needed when they face Slovenia in the Euro 2024 last 16 on Monday. Despite a surprising 2-0 loss to Georgia, Portugal topped Group F and will now play Slovenia, who advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.

Portugal's path to victory will be challenging as they share the knockout bracket with heavyweights like France, Belgium, Germany, and Spain. They must overcome multiple strong teams to progress further in the tournament. In their last major event, the 2022 World Cup, Portugal set a record with a 6-1 win over Switzerland in the last 16 but lost 2-0 to Slovenia in a friendly match in March.

Pepe expects a tough game against Slovenia due to their recent history. "We know it's going to be a very difficult game, not least because of our recent history," he said. "It's about avoiding making the mistakes we made in that defeat back in March so that we can come out on top."

Cristiano Ronaldo remains crucial for Portugal despite not scoring in the group stage for the first time in his career. Pepe reassures fans about Ronaldo's form: "Cristiano lives for goals, that's a fact. But have you seen his availability on the pitch to help the national team? It's incredible," said Pepe. "He'll do very well in the final stages of the European Championship."

This will be Slovenia's first knockout match at a major tournament, while it is Portugal's 26th such match. Since winning Euro 2016, Portugal has lost three out of four knockout matches at major tournaments.

Players to Watch

Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo: Ronaldo has not scored in his last seven appearances at major tournaments, his longest drought. He has taken 19 shots without scoring since netting against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup. At Euro 2024, he has had 12 shots worth 1.32 expected goals (xG), twice as many attempts as Bruno Fernandes.

Slovenia - Andraz Sporar: Sporar and Benjamin Sesko have been active upfront despite Slovenia scoring only two goals so far. Sporar has taken seven shots, five from inside the area, with an xG of 0.98 across three matches. He has also won 13 duels overall.

Match Prediction: Portugal Win

The Opta supercomputer gives Portugal a 76% chance of reaching the quarter-finals. Only England and Spain (both at 82%) have higher chances among all teams before the knockout rounds begin.

Despite their loss to Georgia with a rotated squad, Portugal ranked second for possession share (67%) and total shots (53) during the group stage, behind Germany (69%, 57 shots). Their defeat ended a streak of 12 consecutive competitive wins.

Vitinha's Impact

An important player for Portugal could be Vitinha, who leads his team in line-breaking passes (29) at this tournament. His pass completion rate under high pressure is also impressive at 90%. His quality could be crucial against Slovenia’s defensive approach.

The Opta win probability stands at:

This data highlights Portugal’s strong chances despite their recent setback against Georgia.