By Score More
Frankfurt, July 1, 2024 — Some matches are remembered for the heroes they create, and last night in Frankfurt, Diogo Costa became one such hero. By saving three penalties from Slovenia, Costa secured his place among football’s greats.
After Ricardo’s legendary performance against England, we now have Diogo Costa’s memorable night in Frankfurt to cherish. He deserves a statue for his heroics!
Portugal faced a tough challenge but ultimately prevailed over Slovenia in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw that lasted 120 minutes. This generation of Portuguese players, aiming to claim the European national football crown, must do better. The best takeaway from this night is that they are still in the tournament.
Switching back to a 4-3-3 formation brought some improvements against a Slovenian team that was not as formidable as portrayed. Slovenia allowed Portugal to control the ball, and the Seleção accepted the challenge. They attacked cautiously, mindful of the counter-attacks from Sesko and Sporar. Martínez positioned Cancelo more centrally, giving him freedom, while Nuno Mendes stayed close to the center-backs, leaving the wing to Leão.
Leão had the space to create, breakthrough, draw fouls, and earn yellow cards for the opposition. He produced Portugal’s best chance in the first half, with Palhinha hitting the post.
Despite controlling the game, Portugal never truly overwhelmed their opponent. They created a good chance from the right wing, with Cancelo’s cross narrowly missed by Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes. Rúben Dias also came close, hitting the side netting.
Slovenia, relying on a direct approach, threatened twice. Diogo Costa saved a shot from Sesko, and Nuno Mendes prevented Sporar from scoring.
Portugal improved after the break. The ball moved faster, and their combinations were more fluid, leading to better football. Bernardo Silva nearly scored early in the second half but missed the target.
João Cancelo deserves special mention. He delivered an outstanding performance, creating the main threats for Portugal and handling his opponents with ease. However, the team lacked a finisher.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a tough night, still searching for his first goal in the tournament. Despite his effort and determination, he was unable to find the back of the net.
Roberto Martínez’s decisions did not favor the team
Portugal’s performance dipped after Martínez substituted Vitinha (one of the best on the pitch) and moved Bruno Fernandes closer to Palhinha. Jota came on to support Ronaldo, but the game became fragmented, and Portugal lost control.
Slovenia capitalized on this, coming close to scoring. Sesko outran Pepe but missed the target against Diogo Costa.
Martínez tried to adjust his strategy, but his substitutions did not have the desired effect. Francisco Conceição replaced Leão on the left wing, but playing out of position, he did not make a significant impact.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a chance to score, set up by Jota, but was denied by Oblak. The Slovenian goalkeeper also saved Ronaldo’s penalty at the end of the first half of extra time, leaving the Portuguese captain in tears.
Portugal kept pushing, but Oblak was impressive, though not as much as Diogo Costa. The Portuguese keeper made a crucial save in extra time to deny Sesko after a mistake by Pepe.
In the penalty shootout, Diogo Costa emerged as the hero, saving shots from Ilicic, Balkovec, and Verbic. Ronaldo redeemed himself by scoring, and Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva sealed the victory, confirming a clash with France next Friday in Hamburg.