Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. remain the favourites and hold the record for most last-16 wins at a major tournament. But since lifting the European Cup in 2016, Portugal have lost three of their four knockout games at either the European Championship or the World Cup.
Can the Portuguese team (right) overcome the pressure of being the "top team" when meeting Slovenia?
After rotating his squad in the final group stage, coach Martinez will return to some key players for the match against Slovenia, with Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and veteran centre-back Pepe joining Ronaldo, Vitinha and Joao Cancelo. The biggest concern for coach Martinez is that Ronaldo has failed to score in his last seven appearances at major tournaments. Rated much higher than his opponents in every aspect, this has inadvertently put a lot of pressure on Portugal.
Meanwhile, Slovenia will be in high spirits as they reach the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time. So regardless of the result against Portugal, coach Matjaz Kek's side have reason to celebrate. A goalless draw with England in the final match of Group C saw Slovenia advance to the round of 16, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches. That is something Portugal must be very cautious about. While Slovenia only averaged 32% possession at EURO 2024 - only two teams have advanced from the group stage with this low a percentage - Kek is confident of pulling off a surprise with a cohesive and balanced squad in all three lines, with expectations placed on goalkeeper-captain Jan Oblak, midfielder Andraz Sporar and young striker Benjamin Sesko. Experienced coach Matjaz Kek usually favours a pragmatic 4-4-2 formation, with Timi Max Elsnik and Adam Gnezda Cerin in central midfield. His only change could be Jure Balkovec replacing the suspended Erik Janza at left-back. Against a star-studded squad, Slovenia are determined to cause a second shock to Portugal and "avenge" the 0-2 defeat in a friendly at home in March.
The match between Portugal and Slovenia takes place at 2:00 on July 2.
Player Chuong Thi Kieu: Ronaldo will help Portugal advance
Slovenia is a team that cannot be underestimated, having held strong opponents like England and Denmark to a draw in the group stage. However, I still believe that Ronaldo will shine to help the Portuguese team advance. Ronaldo may no longer be the center of the Portuguese team's play, but his class and experience are still very valuable in knockout matches like this. Prediction: Portugal wins 2-1.
Little Treasure (recorded)
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lich-thi-dau-bo-dao-nha-slovenia-den-luc-ronaldo-phai-len-tieng-185240630213507668.htm
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