Portugal and Ronaldo save face as Costa’s shootout heroics sink Slovenia

Apology accepted. In fairness, Cristiano Ronaldo simply does not shirk responsibility and by taking and scoring the first penalty in a shootout victory over Slovenia, the Portugal captain made amends for failing to score his spot kick in extra time, which was saved magnificently by Jan Oblak.

Ronaldo blubbered uncontrollably after the first but second time around he took another deep intake of breath, relaxing his super-sized muscles, pausing the gazillion thoughts running over in his mind and coolly dispatched his spot kick into the opposite corner to his earlier effort, before clasping his hands together to make a praying gesture and holding up his palms to say sorry to the curve of Portugal supporters going ballistic behind the goal.

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In the end it was the Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa who was the undoubted hero, making three extraordinary saves, the last of which thwarted Benjamin Verbic down to his right, before Bernardo Silva sealed a 3-0 win on penalties. Even Ronaldo seemed a touch remorseful as Slovenia, whose steely resistance was broken in the cruellest of manners, came up short from 12 yards. They had exhibited a defensive masterclass against slicker opposition who registered more than twice as many passes and double the touches.

Ultimately the only ones that counted came in the shootout, Ronaldo spared. The more likely penalties became, the twitchier Portugal grew but they will now play France in Hamburg on Friday.

Ronaldo had extended his lean streak during normal and extra time – it is now eight appearances at a major tournament without a goal – but he was unperturbed when it came to putting the ball down in the shootout. Jan Oblak made an emphatic save to deny Ronaldo earning the lead on 105 minutes after Diogo Jota was upended. At times it felt like Ronaldo’s personal mission to get on the scoresheet; three free-kicks came and went, one which forced Oblak into a save, but Slovenia, who spent much of the game with all 10 outfield players behind the ball, were stubborn, fiercely disciplined and awkward opposition. The Slovenia manager Matjaz Kek was sent off for dissent in a fraught period of extra time but can take huge pride in reaching the knockout stage of a tournament for the first time.

Portugal knew exactly what to expect. Slovenia beat them 2-0 in a friendly in Ljubljana in March and Bruno Fernandes admitted that defeat left his side wanting to set the record straight. Fernandes had done his homework, highlighting how Slovenia topped the table for clearances at the tournament, and Roberto Martínez stressed the need to stay patient against a low block. Slovenia depart Germany with an average of 36% possession, the lowest at the tournament, and given Portugal’s is almost double that figure this contest always had the makings of a mismatch. The biggest giveaway of the difficulty of the task, though, no matter their aesthetic differences, was that Slovenia arrived here unbeaten in nine matches having not tasted defeat since a qualifying loss last November.

Beforehand Fernandes also referenced Oblak, describing the Atlético Madrid goalkeeper as one of the best in the world, and for Portugal the overwhelming anxiety at half-time was the reality that they had failed to work him. Oblak easily held Ronaldo’s weak header, which lost its oomph when it pinballed off the defender Vanja Drkusic, after the half-hour and there were a string of agonising nearly moments. Ronaldo was at the centre of most of them, taking each swing-and-a-miss as a personal insult. The 39-year-old looked towards the heavens in disgust – though the roof here was again closed – after soaring between two defenders but failing to make contact on Vitinha’s scooped cross, as if a deep injustice had occurred.

It summed up Portugal’s frustrations. Ronaldo boomed a wide free-kick straight out of play and earlier sent another free-kick zooming over Oblak’s goal after the restored Rafael Leão was upended by Drkusic. Slovenia assembled the draught excluder. The overhead spider-cam surged into the perfect position anticipating lift-off, supporters pulled out their phones. But Ronaldo’s free-kick, all power, flew over the frame of the goal.

As a haze from the flares lit by the Slovenia fans behind Oblak’s goal filled the pitch midway through the second half, Martínez recognised the need to change the rhythm of an increasingly painful contest and replaced Vitinha with Jota. Regardless, the second half took on an identical mould to the first. Aside from the odd João Cancelo burst, it was one-dimensional; it all felt a bit Ronaldo or bust. Oblak repelled a leathered Ronaldo free-kick but, in truth, it was straight at him. Up the other end Benjamin Sesko gave Pepe a scare, beating him for pace after seizing on a Portugal mix-up on halfway, but the RB Leipzig striker’s shot was a daisy-cutter that pootled wide.

For a split-second it seemed Ronaldo would snatch victory in the 89th minute, but he was left slapping his thighs after flunking a shot at Oblak. It was nothing compared to the emotions he felt lifting his head after striking his first penalty, only to realise the ball had been pushed on to a post and clear. Ronaldo wept during the extra-time interval, his teammates taking it turns to console him. Diogo Dalot grabbed Ronaldo by the neck and shouted some words in his ear. There was nothing worth saying at the end of the shootout.