Portugal will face Slovenia in the round of 16 at the European Championship on Monday. Portugal, who started the group stage with wins over the Czech Republic and Turkey, suffered a 2-0 loss in their last game. This situation is reminiscent of Euro 2008 when Portugal also lost momentum and was eliminated in the first knockout round. On the other hand, Slovenia will play their first knockout game at a major tournament in 32 years as an independent soccer nation.
Slovenia started Euro 2024 with three straight draws, similar to how eventual champion Portugal started in 2016. Portugal has already secured more wins in 90 minutes in this tournament than in their 2016 title-winning campaign. The game will be held in Frankfurt, a city where favorites have struggled so far.
In terms of team news, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was dropped to the bench at the 2022 World Cup, is in better standing with the current coach Roberto Martinez. Josip Iličić, who has not started a game for Slovenia, made a positive return to the national team after battling depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the numbers, there is a significant ranking gap between Portugal and Slovenia, making it the second most lopsided mismatch in the round of 16. Slovenia previously beat Portugal 2-0 in a friendly match in March. Slovenia has lost just once in 15 games over the past year.
Portugal defender Pepe continues to extend his tournament record as the oldest-ever player, while Cristiano Ronaldo has the opportunity to become the oldest ever scorer at Euro 2024. The players are optimistic about their performances in the upcoming knockout phase of the tournament.
In closing, Slovenia midfielder Adam Gnezda Čern highlighted how the team has grown since a significant loss to Serbia two years ago. The match between Portugal and Slovenia promises to be an exciting encounter as both teams vie for a spot in the quarterfinals to face either Belgium or France.