European Championship round of sixteen - Weeping Ronaldo struggles into the quarter-finals with Portugal
A crying Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal can still dream of a second EURO title after 2016 despite a missed penalty by the superstar. The favorite advanced in the eight-finals against outsider Slovenia with a 3:0 win in the penalty shootout. No goals were scored in 120 minutes.
The 39-year-old Portuguese captain, who missed a penalty kick against Slovenia's Jan Oblak in the 105th minute and cried on the field afterwards, now faces France with Kylian Mbappe in the quarterfinals on Friday (21:00 hours) in Hamburg.
Ronaldo is still waiting for his first tournament goal - he showed the necessary nerves during the penalty shootout on Monday evening in front of 46,576 spectators in the Frankfurt Arena. After converting his shot, he apologized to the fans with a gesture. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa became the match winner, saving three shots from the Slovenians. It was a relief - especially for Ronaldo, who had to be encouraged by his teammates after his missed penalty from 11 meters in the second half of extra time.
His record at his sixth European Championship remains at 14 goals. Ronaldo could have decided the game on his own. Just before the end of regular play, he was already unmarked with a shot on target, but failed. Italy and Belgium both suffered elimination in the first knockout round, but this was spared for Portugal under the guidance of trainer Roberto Martinez.
Ronaldo as a fixed point in attack
All eyes on Ronaldo: Every ball contact by the former world footballer caused the decibel level to rise among the crowd. So it was also when the central striker jumped under a cross in the 13th minute. Is it his last major tournament appearance for the Saudi professional from Al-Nassr FC? While his teammates swirled around him and filled in the gaps, Ronaldo mostly held his position as a fixed point.
EM veteran Pepe (41) held the defense together at the back, constantly intervening and even daring to venture forward. The Slovenians had trouble getting into the penalty area. The same went for Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, the youngest player in the squad of the outsiders. Coach Matjaz Kek had called for more support for the striker: "We need to help him."
For the first time since independence, the selection of the country with two million inhabitants had made it to the knockout phase of an EURO final tournament. The 2:0 win against Portugal in the test match in March had given the team confidence before the match. The Portuguese, however, made their opponents run a lot with their clever space management.
Ronaldo in promising free kick position
The favorite kept trying to find Ronaldo with crosses, and after a good first half hour, he even headed the ball towards the goal. Oblak had no trouble. But then, the world star celebrated his first free kick - and just missed the goal with a powerful shot.
On the other side, Sesko came into play for the first time just before half-time, but his shot from 20 meters was caught by goalkeeper Diogo Costa. With an outside post shot from Portugal's Joao Palhinha, both teams went into halftime.
The overwhelming Portuguese were not dominant enough
Five days after the 0:2-defeat against Georgia in the last group game, Ronaldo's team showed once again dominance and vitality, but couldn't find a gap. In another free kick by the record EM scorer, Oblak defended with both fists. The goalkeeper of Atletico Madrid and his teammates defended their penalty area diligently.
After an hour, Sesko managed to get past Pepe in a counterattack, but he didn't hit the target. It went to a penalty shootout, where the Portuguese had a late happy ending despite the Ronaldo drama.
- Portugal will face France in the quarterfinals of the EURO, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe as the main attractions, in Hamburg on Friday at 21:00 hours.
- Despite a missed penalty kick by Ronaldo against Slovenia's Jan Oblak in the 105th minute, Portugal advanced to the round of sixteen with a 3:0 victory in the penalty shootout.
- Slovenia, an outsider in the tournament, faced the favorite Portugal in the eight-finals and were eliminated after failing to score in 120 minutes.
- Ronaldo, who is still waiting for his first tournament goal, showed his nerves during the penalty shootout and converted his shot, later apologizing to the fans.
- The Slovenian goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, saved three shots from the Slovenians in the penalty shootout, allowing Diogo Costa to become the match winner.
- The Portugal team, under the guidance of trainer Roberto Martinez, managed to avoid elimination in the first knockout round, just like Italy and Belgium.
- Ronaldo, the central striker for Portugal, held his position as a fixed point in attack, while teammates swirled around him and filled in the gaps.
- Benjamin Sesko, the youngest player in the Slovenian squad, had trouble getting into the penalty area, and his shot from 20 meters was caught by goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
- The Slovenian team, with two million inhabitants, made it to the knockout phase of the EURO for the first time since their independence, but were eliminated in the penalty shootout against Portugal.
