Portugal forced their way into the UEFA European Championships quarter-finals with a 3-0 penalty shootout victory following a lackluster 0-0 draw against Slovenia.
Slovenia, on their part, head home after reaching the knockout stages of an international tournament for the first time ever.
Roberto Martinez suffered his first defeat in 12 games as Portugal’s manager with a surprising 2-0 loss to Slovenia in March, setting the stage for a challenging match. Slovenia’s sturdy defense initially thwarted Portugal’s efforts to score.
Rafael Leao and Cristiano Ronaldo had opportunities from excellent crosses but failed to convert, leaving the match goalless.
Ronaldo, despite taking the most shots in the tournament without scoring, was determined to break his drought.
However, he missed more chances, including headers and free kicks into the stands. Slovenia, meanwhile, had the upper hand in the first half’s closing minutes, with Benjamin Sesko testing Diogo Costa.
Portugal nearly scored just before halftime with a low drive from Joao Palhinha that hit the post. Ronaldo struggled against Jan Oblak, whom he hadn’t beaten in their previous encounters. Even his powerful set piece was saved by the Slovenian goalkeeper.
The excitement faded as both teams prepared for extra time. Šeško missed wide on a counter, while Ronaldo’s best chance of the match was saved by Oblak.
Portugal hadn’t created enough chances in normal time but got their best opportunity when Vanja Drkusic fouled Diogo Jota in the area, leading to a penalty. Ronaldo stepped up, but Oblak made a sensational save, pushing the ball onto the post and out.
As penalties seemed inevitable, Pepe’s mistake almost let Šeško score, but Diogo Costa’s crucial save denied Slovenia a potential winner.
Slovenia missed all three of their first penalty kicks, while Portugal scored all of theirs, with Bernardo Silva sealing the victory.
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