Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa was the hero of the night as his side survived a major scare against Slovenia to advance to the quarterfinals of the EURO 2024 tournament on Monday, July 1st at the Frankfurt Arena.
The match ended 0-0 after extra time, before Portugal prevailed 3-0 in the penalty shootout, with Diogo Costa saving three penalties to become the first goalkeeper to ever do so at the Euros.
Heading into the match, Portugal were heavily favoured against one of the tournament underdogs Slovenia. However, Roberto Martinez’s side quickly found out that breaking down Slovenia’s resolute defence would be no easy task.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leao were kept quiet in the first half, with neither able to find the breakthrough.
The second half was also characterised by missed chances from both sides, with Bernardo Silva missing the target in the 47th minute, Jan Oblak repelling Ronaldo’s set piece in the 55th minute, Benjamin Sesko sending the ball wide in the 65th minute and Oblak frustrating Ronaldo in the 90th minute.
With the score locked at 0-0 after 90 minutes, the match went to extra time. Early in extra time, Portugal were awarded a penalty when Diogo Jota was fouled in the box.
Up stepped Christiano Ronaldo, but his effort was superbly saved by Jan Oblak, continuing the veteran’s struggles in front of goal, and breaking the hearts of numerous Portugal and Ronaldo fans.
Just as penalties seemed inevitable, disaster struck again for Portugal as Pepe’s slip allowed Benjamin Sesko through on goal. The 21-year-old striker nearly snatched a late winner when he burst clear, only to be denied by a crucial save from Diogo Costa to keep the scores level.
With neither side being able to find the net after 120 minutes, the match went into penalties. In the resulting shootout, Costa proved unbeatable, saving all three Slovenian penalties.
The 24-year-old Porto keeper first kept out Josip Ilicic’s effort, before keeping out Jure Balkovec’s penalty, Slovenia’s second for the night, with a superb save.
Costa then denied Benjamin Verbic, allowing Bernardo Silva to score the decisive winning penalty, seal a 3-0 shootout victory, and send Portugal through to the Quarter-finals.
In doing so, Costa became the first men’s goalkeeper to ever save three penalties in a shootout at the European Championships. His display of composure and shot-stopping ability under immense pressure was nothing short of breathtaking.
It was an agonising night for Slovenia, who will be left to rue their missed chances. However, they can be immensely proud of their performance, having reached the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time in their history.
For Portugal, the victory came at a cost. Ronaldo’s missed penalty and continued struggles in front of goal will be a concern, while the team’s overall performance lacked the fluency and dominance expected of a side with their talent. They will thank Diogo Costa for his heroics though.
Nevertheless, Portugal have booked their place in the Quarter-finals, where they will face a stern test against France, on Friday July 5th, in a match that will be a repeat of the EURO 2016 Final, which Portugal won in France.
