2 days ago
Cristiano Ronaldo gave nan shot a buss and placed it connected nan punishment spot. How galore times must he person been done this regular complete nan people of nan erstwhile 20 years?
Beating nan goalkeeper from 12 yards has been integral to his brilliance, integral to his declare to beryllium nan top of all.
If he could do it again, hit Jan Oblak and yet break nan Slovenian guidance successful nan first half of other clip past surely Portugal would beryllium into a quarter-final against France successful Hamburg connected Friday.
Ronaldo struck it cleanly and firmly towards nan area but Oblak went nan correct way, stretched and recovered nan shot pinch a hand, pushed it against a station and wide.
It was an exceptional save, much of a prevention than a miss, and suggestive of Slovenia’s refusal to output to nan expectation.
Diogo Costa proved Portugal's leader by redeeming 3 penalties to triumph a shoot-out pinch Slovenia
Costa saved each of Slovenia's penalties aft nan lucifer had vanished goalless aft extra-time
Cristiano Ronaldo was near successful tears aft his punishment saved successful nan first play of other time
Perhaps they will opportunity location was justness astatine play, too, because they did not deliberation it was a foul connected Diogo Jota arsenic he jinked into nan box.
Ronaldo was near distraught by nan miss, sobbing arsenic nan teams huddled for nan interval successful extra-time, his teammate offering support and fans singing his name.
It was 1 of those nights erstwhile nan shot did not want to spell in. Mostly, nan Portuguese were nan ones being denied but Benjamin Sesko besides missed a glorious chance to clinch a spot for Slovenia successful nan past eight, aft Ronaldo’s punishment miss and earlier nan sprout out.
Sesko pounced connected a uncommon correction by Pepe and sped clear pinch only goalkeeper Diogo Costa to beat.
Costa dispersed his framework and made nan block. It was Portugal’s goalkeeper who would beryllium nan leader of nan night, redeeming 3 penalties.
The first from Josip Ilicic. Then came Ronaldo, backmost to nan aforesaid extremity of nan stadium, facing Oblak and this clip nary mistake.
Costa made 2 much outstanding saves from Jure Blakovec and Benjamin Verbic arsenic Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva recovered nan net.
Finally, Slovenia were broken. Portugal will meet France connected Friday successful Hamburg. Ronaldo, nan only man to play successful six Euros is still trying to go nan first to people successful six.
Ronaldo converted Portugal's first punishment of nan shoot-out successful Frankfurt aft a frustrating night
The guardant held his hands up successful apology pursuing his missed spot-kick during other time
Slovenia's guidance was surgery successful nan shoot-out with Benjamin Verbic 1 of 3 to miss
Still penning nan scripts, moreover erstwhile things commencement to conspire against him arsenic they did for truthful agelong here.
Portugal dominated but Slovenia are compact, good organised and tenacious. They are physical. They time off a small interaction connected players. They disrupt rhythms. And they disappointment their opponents arsenic they did to England successful nan group game.
Ronaldo was intimately policed each nighttime by Vanja Drkusic, who roseate to nan challenge, remaining tight to Ronaldo. When he was incapable to hit him successful nan aerial header successful beforehand of extremity nan Slovenian centre-half ne'er grounded use what beingness interaction he could, to put him off.
Ronaldo headed 1 into nan gloves of Oblak and was furious pinch himself erstwhile he mistimed another, from a teasing Silva cross. He fizzed 1 free-kick narrowly complete from a bully position conscionable extracurricular nan container and was miles distant pinch an absurd, over-ambitious effort to swerve 1 towards extremity from measurement retired connected Portugal’s near wing.
He was seldom acold from centre shape though Slovenia’s top problems successful nan first half came erstwhile Leao sewage connected nan shot pinch abstraction to dribble astatine correct backmost Zan Karnicnik.
Palhinha clipped nan extracurricular of a station pinch a debased thrust aft 1 specified tally but, for each nan dominance, Portugal did not find nan breakthrough and go progressively aggravated by immoderate of nan beingness attention.
Ronaldo trim a disconsolate fig aft seeing his punishment saved by Slovenia's Jan Oblak
Oblak dived astatine afloat agelong to forestall Ronaldo from giving Portugal nan lead successful other time
The Slovenia skipper was congratulated by his team-mates pursuing his stunning punishment save
Benjamin Sesko was denied by Portugal's Diogo Costa erstwhile he was cleanable done successful other time
Ronaldo threw his arms up and down successful exasperation.
Slovenian glimmers were rare. Benjamin Sesko caught 1 saccharine from region precocious successful nan first half, only to whistle it consecutive into nan arms of Diogo Costa, past collapsed clear of Pepe successful nan second, only to make a messiness of his finish.
The shape of nan title was set. Portugal connected top, Slovenia manning nan barricades. Silva wasted a bully chance. It was dissimilar him to beryllium truthful chaotic successful beforehand of goal. Ronaldo lashed 1 free-kick astatine Oblak who hit it away, past screamed different free-kick wide.
It was not for nan want of trying but nary measurement through. There were hopeless sliding blocks and saves by Oblak, including 1 successful nan 89th infinitesimal to contradict Ronaldo again and past nan punishment successful other time. But Portugal spell connected to nan quarterfinals.
