Portugal booked their place within the quarter-finals of the Euros regardless of a penalty miss by Cristiano Ronaldo, with Diogo Jota taking part in a pivotal function off the bench.
Jota was substitute for the fourth sport in a row at this summer season’s Euros, unable to interrupt into the Portugal facet as he manages his health in Germany.
However with Slovenia producing a heroic show of their last-16 conflict on Monday evening, supervisor Roberto Martinez turned to the Liverpool ahead as a late roll of the cube.
It was an influential change, with Jota twice setting Ronaldo up for large probabilities which the selfish striker contrived to waste.
After spending the sport skewing free-kick after free-kick excessive, extensive and straight to the goalkeeper, the No. 7 was despatched via by Jota solely to fireside it into the sprawling Jan Oblak.
That got here within the remaining minute of regular time, and halfway via further time, Jota laid on an much more convincing likelihood for his captain.
A driving run from Liverpool’s No. 20 noticed him minimize via the strains with ease, earlier than being clattered within the space to earn a penalty which Ronaldo noticed saved by the excellent Oblak.
Ronaldo was in tears between the 2 further halves, with Slovenia trying more and more more likely to seize the important purpose that will ship them via to the quarters.
Cristiano Ronaldo is in tears ?#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #PORSVN pic.twitter.com/632i0tRRFU
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 1, 2024
They had been even handed the right alternative to take action, with Pepe’s slip permitting Benjamin Sesko via, just for the RB Leipzig striker to fireside too near the goalkeeper.
That goalkeeper, Diogo Costa, then proved the hero because the tie went to a penalty shootout, saving all three of Slovenia’s spot-kicks earlier than Bernardo Silva transformed a profitable third for Portugal.
Victory units up a quarter-final between Portugal and France on Friday night, with the latter overcoming Belgium 1-0 earlier on Monday.
Ibrahima Konate once more went unused all through the conflict, not given the probabilities to impress that Jota has not less than loved underneath Martinez to this point.
There’s a convincing case for Jota to even begin the quarter-final, however the Portugal boss faces the identical conundrum many managers have confronted lately: tips on how to drop Ronaldo and get away with it.
On advantage, Ronaldo shouldn’t be beginning for Portugal, however managers for each membership and nation have persistently struggled to omit him primarily based on repute.
Jota isn’t any like-for-like alternative, however in his 55 minutes towards Slovenia he confirmed he can supply a extra decisive risk that’s extra cohesive with the remainder of the staff.
