Goalkeeper Diogo Costa became a Portuguese “hero” on Monday when he saved three penalties against Slovenia in the last 16 of the 2024 European Football Championship, leading the Portuguese team to a reunion with France in the “quarters”.
After 120 minutes without a goal and after Ronaldo had wasted a penalty in extra time, in the 105th minute Diogo Costa showed his skills as a specialist and stopped three maximum penalties applied by Slovenia, leading the Kinas team to victory.
The Porto goalkeeper, named man of the match, had already ‘saved’ Portugal in extra time, correcting Pepe’s mistake in the 115th minute and making the decisive save from Cesko’s shot.
At Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Roberto Martinez reverted to a 4-3-3 formation and bet on the eleven that beat Turkey in the second round of the group stage, with Bruno Fernandes up front and playing in Ronaldo’s return.
The Quinas team entered the game putting pressure on their opponents and already in the first minutes they made two dangerous shots at Oblak’s goal. First, Rafael Leão was late to the cross, and then Bruno Fernandes failed to parry Bernardo Silva’s pass in time.
Slovenia, as expected, handed control of the game to Portugal and when they did have the ball they always tried to play straight forward to the forwards Sporar and Cesko, but the Portuguese defence kept the two attackers in check.
On a pitch that was not in the best condition from the start, the corner formation concentrated on the flanks, trying to create danger, always showing difficulties in connecting the internal play.
In one such move, Rafael Leão started from the centre of the field and was brought down on the edge of the penalty area, and Ronaldo converted the free-kick and sent the ball close to Oblak’s goalpost. The Portuguese captain protested his luck, while the Slovenian fans shouted at Messi in the stands.
The game played out exactly as expected: Portugal had no ideas to dismantle the Slovenian defense, resorting to many individual actions. In the last play of the first half, Leão broke to the left and left a shot for João Palinha, but the ball still hit the post.
In the second half the game continued the same trend and at 55 Ronaldo had another opportunity to convert a free kick, but the shot, although powerful, fell to Oblak, who waved it away before Slovenia got scared and Cesko beat Pepe in speed and, already inside the penalty area, shot weakly and wide of the goal.
Martinez changed his team: Vitinha made way for Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes took a step back and Francisco Conceicao moved to the left to replace Rafael Leão, but Portugal showed no improvement, rather the opposite.
His best came in the 89th minute when Diogo Jota stole the ball and sent Ronaldo through, who was in a good position to allow Oblak to escape.
Extra time followed, with the Portugal coach changing personnel: Conceição on the right, Jota on the left and Bernardo Silva moving into the centre. Near the break, with the score at 103, Diogo Jota started with the ball under control and was brought down in the penalty area, with the referee awarding a penalty.
Ronaldo was called upon to score and again Oblak came out on top, saving the maximum penalty but the ball still hit the post. The Portuguese captain sensed the moment and arrived at the extra-time break in tears, consoled by his teammates.
The highlight of the second half of extra time was a dangerous header from João Pallina, saved by Oblak, and the Slovenians’ best chance after a monumental mistake by Pepe at 115, who lost the ball and allowed Cesko to isolate himself, but Diogo Costa saved Portugal.
The game was decided on penalties and then Diogo Costa came back to stop everything and guarantee Portugal a place in the quarter-finals against France, with good and bad memories of Portuguese football.
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Live game
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Goal!!! Portugal 0(3), Slovenia 0. Bernardo Silva (Portugal) scores the penalty, shooting with his left foot into the lower right side of the goal.
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Penalty saved! Benjamin Verbic (Slovenia) missed a great opportunity, his right-footed shot was deflected off the left side of the goal.
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Goal!!! Portugal 0(2), Slovenia 0. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) scores the penalty, shooting with his right foot near the base of the left post. -
Penalty saved! Jure Balkovec (Slovenia) missed a great opportunity: his left-footed shot was deflected off the left side of the goal.
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Goal!!! Portugal 0(1), Slovenia 0. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) scores the penalty, shooting with his right foot near the base of the left post.
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Penalty saved! Josip Ilicic (Slovenia) missed a great opportunity, his left-footed shot deflected just wide of the bottom left corner of the goal.
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Big fines
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End of the game
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End of extra time
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120 minutesAn opportunity was wasted by Ruben Neves (Portugal), who shot with his right foot from outside the penalty area following a corner.
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120 minutesThe moment is intercepted, Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) makes a header from the center of the penalty area. The assist was made by Bruno Fernandes with a cross into the penalty area.
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120 minutesCorner, Portugal. Courtesy of Josip Ilicic.
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117′Joao Cancelo
LeavesNelson Semedo
Goes into -
117′Pepe
LeavesRuben Neves
Goes into -
115′Zan Celaar (Slovenia) missed a chance, striking with his right foot from outside the penalty area.
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115′The shot is saved in the bottom left corner of the goal. Benjamin Sesko (Slovenia) took a shot with his right foot from outside the penalty area.
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112′The opportunity was seized, Josip Ilicic (Slovenia) shot with his left foot from outside the penalty area.
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108′The opportunity is intercepted, Pepe (Portugal) heads the ball from the center of the penalty area. The assist was made by Bruno Fernandes with a cross into the penalty area.
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108′Corner, Portugal. Provided by Jan Oblak.
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108′Shot saved in the top centre of the goal. João Palinha (Portugal) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the box. The assist was made by Bruno Fernandes with a cross into the box.
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107′
Yellow card shown to Jure Balkovec from Slovenia! -
107′Yellow card shown to João Cancelo of Portugal!
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106 minutesYellow card shown to Jake Bijol of the Slovenian national team!
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105′Timi Elsnik
LeavesJosip Ilicic
Goes into -
Interval (Overtime)
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Start of the 2nd half (Extra time)
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103′Slovenia coach excluded!
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103′Cristiano Ronaldo misses a penalty. Oblak makes a great save and the ball still hits the post…
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103′Corner, Portugal. Provided by Jan Oblak.
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100 minutesAnother cross, this time from Francisco Conceição from the left, but Diogo Jota headed weakly into Oblak’s arms.
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99′Corner, Portugal. Provided by Yaka Bijol.
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96′After a corner, Stankovic shoots past his left foot.
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95′What a danger! Verbic intercepts the ball from Cancelo and shoots with his right foot, the ball is deflected out for a corner.
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95′Corner, Slovenia. Courtesy of Ruben Dias.
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Start of the 1st half (Extra time)
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End of Part 2
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90′Corner, Portugal. Courtesy of Vanja Drkusic.
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90′Corner, Portugal. Courtesy of Vanja Drkusic.
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89′What an opportunity! On the counter-attack, Diogo Jota passes the ball deep to Cristiano Ronaldo, but the captain shoots with his left foot and Oblak saves it.
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86′Petar Stojanovic
LeavesBenjamin Verbic
Goes into -
81′The match was interrupted due to an injury to Bruno Fernandes (Portugal).
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76′Rafael Leao
LeavesFrancisco Conceicao
Goes into -
75′Andraz Sporar
LeavesZan Selar
Goes into -
74′Jan Mlakar
LeavesJon Gorenc Stankovic
Goes into -
72′Another free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo and the captain hits the ball over the top again.
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65′Vitinya
LeavesDiogo Jota
Goes into -
61′Missed chance Benjamin Sesko (Slovenia) took a left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area. Andraz Sporar provided the assist with a header from a counter-attack.
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59′Adam Serin tries his luck on the edge of the Portuguese penalty area, but shoots without any direction. A lot has ended…
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58′Corner, Portugal. Courtesy of Jure Balkovec.
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57′What a shame! Another great move from Cancelo on the right: a pass to Vitinho in the central area, but the midfielder can’t get a shot off…
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55 minutesWhat a shot! Cristiano Ronaldo takes a powerful free kick from the edge of the box, but Oblak saves it.
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52′Vitinha tries his luck from distance with a right-footed shot, but the ball is intercepted by the Slovenian defence.
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49′The corner is taken wide of the goal and Yesnik stretches out, but it’s not the best shot.
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48′Corner, Slovenia. Courtesy of Ruben Dias.
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47′Nah! Great work from Joao Cancelo on the right flank, breaking through the Slovenian defence, but in the rest of the game Bernardo Silva gets the first shot, completely out of place…
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Beginning of part 2
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Interval
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45 minutesWhat a danger! In the last play of the first half, João Palinha shot low from the edge of the penalty area and hit Oblak’s right post.
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45 minutesBijol appears at the near post but heads wide.
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45 minutesCorner, Slovenia. Courtesy of Pepe.
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44′Cesc makes his first appearance with a powerful shot from distance but it goes out to Diogo Costa.
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39′Corner, Slovenia. Courtesy of Nuno Mendes.
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38 minutesCristiano Ronaldo, still far from the Slovenian goal and pushed to the left flank, takes a free kick but the ball goes wide…
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37′A yellow card was shown to Karnicnik for handball.
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35 minutesCorner, Portugal. Courtesy of Vanja Drkusic.
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34′Almost! Cristiano Ronaldo came very close to converting a free kick, but the ball flew just wide of the goal.
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32′A yellow card is shown to Vanja Drkusic.
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31′Shot deflected into the top centre of the goal. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) heads the ball from the centre of the penalty area.
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29 minutesCorner, Portugal. Provided by Yaka Bijol.
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26 minutesNow Cancelo crosses from the right flank to Cristiano Ronaldo, but Drkusic deflects it out for a corner.
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25 minutesBruno Fernandes had a shot on goal but it was already blocked by Paligna’s handball.
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19 minutesThe match was interrupted due to an injury to Nuno Mendes (Portugal).
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18 minutesNuno Mendes receives treatment after a hard foul on the edge of the Portugal penalty area.
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10 minutesCorner, Portugal. Courtesy of Zan Karnicnik.
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5′After a corner the ball falls to Ruben Dias, but the central defender shoots wide with his left foot.
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4′What a danger! A superb cross from Bruno Fernandes on the right, Cristiano Ronaldo misses the target, as does Rafael Leão from the second post, resulting in Karnicnik providing a shot!
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Home Part 1
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.