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2 months ago
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Cristiano Ronaldo gave the ball a kiss and placed it on the penalty spot. How many times must he have been through this routine over the course of the previous 20 years?
Beating the goalkeeper from 12 yards has been integral to his brilliance, integral to his claim to be the greatest of all.
If he could do it again, beat Jan Oblak and finally break the Slovenian resistance in the first half of extra time then surely Portugal would be into a quarter-final against France in Hamburg on Friday.
Ronaldo struck it cleanly and firmly towards the corner but Oblak went the right way, stretched and found the ball with a hand, pushed it against a post and wide.
It was an exceptional save, more of a save than a miss, and indicative of Slovenia’s refusal to yield to the expectation.
Diogo Costa proved Portugal's hero by saving three penalties to win a shoot-out with Slovenia
Costa saved all of Slovenia's penalties after the match had finished goalless after extra-time
Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after his penalty saved in the first period of extra time
Perhaps they will say there was justice at play, too, because they did not think it was a foul on Diogo Jota as he jinked into the box.
Ronaldo was left distraught by the miss, sobbing as the teams huddled for the interval in extra-time, his teammate offering support and fans singing his name.
It was one of those nights when the ball did not want to go in. Mostly, the Portuguese were the ones being denied but Benjamin Sesko also missed a glorious chance to clinch a place for Slovenia in the last eight, after Ronaldo’s penalty miss and before the shoot out.
Sesko pounced on a rare mistake by Pepe and sped clear with only goalkeeper Diogo Costa to beat.
Costa spread his frame and made the block. It was Portugal’s goalkeeper who would be the hero of the night, saving three penalties.
The first from Josip Ilicic. Then came Ronaldo, back to the same end of the stadium, facing Oblak and this time no mistake.
Costa made two more outstanding saves from Jure Blakovec and Benjamin Verbic as Bruno Ferdandes and Bernardo Silva found the net.
Finally, Slovenia were broken. Portugal will meet France on Friday in Hamburg. Ronaldo, the only man to play in six Euros is still trying to become the first to score in six.
Ronaldo converted Portugal's first penalty of the shoot-out in Frankfurt after a frustrating night
The forward held his hands up in apology following his missed spot-kick during extra time
Still writing the scripts, even when things start to conspire against him as they did for so long here.
Portugal dominated but Slovenia are compact, well organised and tenacious. They are physical. They leave a little contact on players. They disrupt rhythms. And they frustrated their opponents as they did to England in the group game.
Ronaldo was closely policed all night by Vanja Drkusic, who rose to the challenge, remaining tight to Ronaldo. When he was unable to beat him in the air header in front of goal the Slovenian centre-half never failed apply what physical contact he could, to put him off.
Ronaldo headed one into the gloves of Oblak and was furious with himself when he mistimed another, from a teasing Silva cross. He fizzed one free-kick narrowly over from a good position just outside the box and was miles away with an absurd, over-ambitious attempt to swerve one towards goal from way out on Portugal’s left wing.
He was seldom far from centre stage although Slovenia’s greatest problems in the first half came when Leao got on the ball with space to dribble at right back Zan Karnicnik.
Palhinha clipped the outside of a post with a low drive after one such run but, for all the dominance, Portugal did not find the breakthrough and become increasingly aggravated by some of the physical attention.
Ronaldo cut a disconsolate figure after seeing his penalty saved by Slovenia's Jan Oblak
Oblak dived at full stretch to prevent Ronaldo from giving Portugal the lead in extra time
The Slovenia captain was congratulated by his team-mates following his stunning penalty save
Benjamin Sesko was denied by Portugal's Diogo Costa when he was clean through in extra time
Ronaldo threw his arms up and down in exasperation.
Slovenian glimmers were rare. Benjamin Sesko caught one sweet from distance late in the first half, only to whistle it straight into the arms of Diogo Costa, then broke clear of Pepe in the second, only to make a mess of his finish.
The pattern of the contest was set. Portugal on top, Slovenia manning the barricades. Silva wasted a good chance. It was unlike him to be so wild in front of goal. Ronaldo lashed one free-kick at Oblak who beat it away, then screamed another free-kick wide.
It was not for the want of trying but no way through. There were desperate sliding blocks and saves by Oblak, including one in the 89th minute to deny Ronaldo again and then the penalty in extra time. But Portugal go on to the quarterfinals.
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