Ronaldo Leads Portugal To Victory Over Slovenia In Euro 2024 Penalty Shootout

Cristiano Ronaldo missed an extra-time penalty but redeemed himself in the shoot-out as Portugal narrowly defeated Slovenia on penalties after a goalless draw in the Euro 2024 round of 16. Ronaldo had a chance to secure victory in extra time, but Jan Oblak saved his attempt, leaving Ronaldo in tears. Despite missing several opportunities during regular time, Ronaldo eventually scored in the shoot-out.

Portugal will now face France for a semi-final spot on Friday. Slovenia's journey ends despite their valiant effort in Frankfurt. Early in the match, both Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes failed to connect with Bernardo Silva's cross. Ronaldo also headed straight at Oblak at the 31-minute mark and narrowly missed with a free-kick just before half-time.

Oblak continued to frustrate Ronaldo by saving another free-kick after the break. Benjamin Sesko then missed a significant chance for Slovenia, dragging his shot wide after outpacing Pepe, who became the oldest player to feature in a World Cup or European Championship knockout match at 41 years and 126 days.

Oblak was instrumental throughout the match, making six saves over 120 minutes. However, he was ultimately outshone by Diogo Costa, who saved three penalties in the shoot-out. Costa’s performance made him the first goalkeeper to achieve this feat in a European Championship shoot-out.

Ronaldo had one last opportunity to avoid extra time in the 89th minute, but Oblak saved his left-footed strike at the near post. The game remained tied as it moved into extra time.

Extra Time Drama

As extra time neared its end, Daniele Orsato awarded Portugal a penalty when Diogo Jota was fouled by Vanja Drkusic. Ronaldo aimed for the bottom-right corner, but Oblak made an excellent save, leaving Ronaldo emotional at half-time of extra time.

Costa then made a crucial one-on-one save against Sesko following a mistake by Pepe, ensuring the match went to penalties. Incredibly, Costa made more saves during the shoot-out (3) than he did during regular play (2).

Ronaldo's Struggles

Ronaldo’s frustrations were evident throughout Euro 2024 as he failed to score in three group stage games for the first time in his career across 11 major tournaments. During this round of 16 match, he took 20 shots without scoring, surpassing Kai Havertz and Kylian Mbappe’s record of 15 shots each without scoring at a single EURO tournament since 1980.

Despite accumulating an expected goals (xG) value of 1.33 from seven shots—more than any other player on the pitch combined—Ronaldo couldn’t find the net during regular play or extra time. He also missed his third penalty out of nine attempts in major tournaments.

Shoot-Out Redemption

In the shoot-out, Ronaldo set the tone with an excellent first kick for Portugal. Fernandes and Bernardo Silva followed suit by converting their penalties as well. Costa’s heroics ensured that Portugal advanced to the quarter-finals despite facing significant pressure from Slovenia throughout the match.

The entire tie revolved around Ronaldo's duel with Oblak, reminiscent of their encounters in Madrid derbies. Although Oblak excelled during regular play and extra time, Costa’s performance ultimately secured Portugal’s progression.

Portugal now looks ahead to their challenging quarter-final match against France while reflecting on their hard-fought victory over Slovenia.