The Portuguese team, who suffered a surprise defeat to Georgia, will play this Monday in Frankfurt, Germany, to reach the quarter-finals of the Euro 2024 football tournament against Slovenia, who have not yet lost in this competition.
Portugal, the 2016 champions, enter the knockout stages as Group F winners with six points after beating the Czech Republic (2-1) and Turkey (3-0) and having already qualified and won the group, losing to Georgia. (0-2).
Slovenia, who are participating in the last 16 of a major tournament for the first time, finished third in Group C in their second participation in the European Championship, registering three draws: 1-1 with Denmark and Serbia and 0-0 with Denmark and Serbia. England.
In March, Slovenia inflicted the first defeat of the Roberto Martinez era on the Portuguese side in a friendly match in Ljubljana, winning 2-0 in what was the first ever clash between the two countries.
After the ‘revolution’ that took place in the match against Georgia, during which he made several changes to the starting line-up, coach Roberto Martinez will likely bring back names such as Pepe, Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.
Slovenia’s main point of reference is goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who played for Benfica, as well as striker Andraz Soprar, a former Sporting and Sporting Braga player, and Benjamin Sesco, one of the country’s most promising players.
The meeting at Deutsche Bank Park, which can accommodate around 50,000 people, will start at 21:00 local time (20:00 in Lisbon) and will be officiated by Italian Daniele Orsato.
If it passes, the national team will meet in the next round the winner of the duel between France and Belgium, who will also meet each other this Monday in Düsseldorf at 18:00 local time (17:00 in Lisbon).
The Gauls, champions in 1984 and 2000 and current vice-world champions, were second in Group D behind Austria, while the Belgians, Portugal’s 2020 executioners, were second in Group E behind Romania.
Switzerland, Germany, England and Spain have already secured their place in the quarters.