FRANKFURT, Germany — Diogo Costa made four game-changing saves, one in extra time and three in a penalty shootout, to send Portugal to the quarters at Slovenia’s expense. The FC Porto goalkeeper also spared Cristiano Ronaldo the ignominy of being party to Portugal’s exit from Euro 2024 early following a miss by the 39-year-old in extra time.
Ronaldo won the race to be taker, but then lost the battle of wits with Jan Oblak as the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper plunged low to his right to keep out the penalty. Ronaldo, tearfully, scored in the shoot-out and immediately spread his hands to apologise to the Portugal fans for his earlier error. In the end it didn’t matter because Costa first denied Benjamin Sesko when the RB Leipzig striker was sent clean through by a Pepe mistake and then saved all three Slovenia penalties in the shootout. It was Ronaldo, along with Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, who scored to line up a quarterfinal tie against France in Hamburg on Friday.
Head coach Roberto Martinez was beaming with delight as Silva slotted home what proved to be the winner but he will know there is work to do before their showdown with France. Putting aside the debate over whether Ronaldo was adequately fit to start, who, despite featuring in their starting line-up boasts some of the finest attacking players on the planet, found life difficult against a resolute Slovenian comeback.
Oblak did make a fine stop to deny Ronaldo his penalty, but otherwise did very little other than stand and admire his defenders crowding the box and heading clear the flurry of crosses aimed at the Al Nassr striker.
At times, it seemed as if desperation had overcome the Portuguese striker, Ronaldo, having tried everything in pursuit of his first goal at the tournament. He may get another opportunity against France, but that’s where the game ends unless Martinez sorts out problems about how his side attack.