Costa heroics send Portugal through after Ronaldo penalty miss

After Cristiano Ronaldo's missed penalty kick in extra time during Monday's thrilling Euro 2024 quarterfinal match, Slovenia managed to hold Portugal to a 0-0 draw. However, goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved all three of Portugal's penalties as Portugal emerged victorious 3-0 in a penalty shootout.

Portugal got the better of the majority of the chances and were fortunate to have their outstanding goalkeeper credit him for a one-on-one stop from Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko as they staggered into a quarter-final match against France on Friday in Hamburg.

Diogo Costa is the first goalkeeper to save 3 penalties in a EURO penalty shootout ????????????#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/8nXZvXJz8y — UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 1, 2024

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Despite a team performance that lacked spark for the most part, Costa saved from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec, and Benjamin Verbic in the shootout to send his side through. He became the first keeper to save three penalties in a European Championship shootout.

Costa declared, "I think this is the best game I've ever played." "I concentrated on completing my tasks. I followed my instincts. Naturally, we had examined the penalty takers, but athletes alter their shooting technique. I'm thrilled and delighted to have supported the team."

Particular attention will be paid to Ronaldo because he missed multiple chances and needed teammates to comfort him after missing a penalty in extra time, leaving him inconsolable.

"Even the most resilient individuals have bad days sometimes. In a post-match interview, Ronaldo said, "I was at my lowest point... right when the team needed me the most," before breaking down in tears once more.

"Happy at the end, sad at the beginning." It's the nature of football. "Moments, mysterious moments," he uttered.

"At the same moment, I feel happy and sad. Nonetheless, having fun is what matters most. The group performed quite well.

"We fought right to the end and if you look at it, if you analyse the game, I think we deserved it because we had more authority."

defender Vanja Drkusic, who had previously been booked and was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow card, improperly stopped Diogo Jota's charging run into the box, which resulted in an illegal stop and a penalty for Portugal late in the first half of extra time.

Although they have a dependable penalty taker in Bruno Fernandes, captain Ronaldo chose to take it, and Slovenia's Jan Oblak brilliantly saved it to his left, pushing the ball against the post.

Ronaldo, who is trying to record the most goals in Euro history with 39, had appeared uneasy the whole game and missed a number of clear-cut opportunities.

In addition, despite the fact that none of Portugal's four free kicks presented a serious threat to Oblak, he insisted on taking them all.

Slovenia played excellent defense, sending the ball long to forwards Andraz Sporar and Sesko to attempt and capitalize on any scraps of possession.

It was a cunning move that paid off, as Sesko had two one-on-one opportunities during the match, both coming from errors made by Pepe.

Seven minutes remaining in extra time, Costa made a great save to keep his second goal from going wide. His first attempt was scuffed wide.

That miss will undoubtedly haunt him, and to Ronaldo's relief—who deserves credit for scoring Portugal's first penalty—Slovenia withered under the weight of the shootout against superb goalkeeping.

Slovenia returns home after four draws in Germany, although they made it to the major tournament knockout stages for the first time ever.

Sadly, it did not turn out well for us. The fantastic environment here makes things even more difficult, I'm at a loss for words," Oblak remarked.

Nothing else needs to be said. We had a chance to score in extra time, as you can see, but we presumably lost a little bit of luck."

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