After seeing their winning streak come to an end in the group stage, Portugal is ready to prove they are worthy of the Euro 2024 title as they face Slovenia on Monday evening.
Slovenia, meanwhile, is heading to Frankfurt for their first-ever knockout match at a major tournament. They will be fighting for a chance to play against either France or Belgium in the quarter-finals.
Despite winning Group F with a game to spare, Portugal's surprising loss to Georgia on Wednesday night was a historic upset, marring an otherwise strong performance.
Benfica center-back Antonio Silva made two crucial errors, allowing the Georgians to score in both halves. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's stunning opener came within the first two minutes, and Portugal's late comeback attempt in Gelsenkirchen fell short.
Having already secured their spot in the last 16 with wins over the Czech Republic and Turkey, head coach Roberto Martinez took the opportunity to rest key players like Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and veteran Pepe.
Nevertheless, this talented squad will be stung by their third loss since the 2022 World Cup exit to Morocco. The defeat also snapped a 12-game winning streak in competitive matches.
Remarkably, Portugal has not lost back-to-back competitive games since Euro 2008. Only Germany averaged more possession, faced fewer shots, and had more goal attempts during the group stage. Therefore, they are expected to bounce back quickly.
Martinez's team remains favorite to advance further in what is considered the tougher half of the draw. Since winning the Henri Delaunay trophy in 2016, Portugal has lost three of four knockout games at the Euros or World Cup. Monday's match will be just the second meeting between Portugal and Slovenia, the first being a 2-0 friendly victory for Portugal in Ljubljana this past March.
In contrast to their illustrious opponents, Slovenia is making their debut in the elimination phase of a major tournament, which is a reason to celebrate in itself. A goalless draw against England in their final Group C game secured their spot in the last 16 and extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches.
Previously, they drew with Denmark and Serbia, narrowly missing a win against the latter. With three points, they placed third, which was enough to advance.
Although Slovenia has averaged just 32% possession in Euro 2024, one of the lowest ever for a team advancing past the group stage, coach Matjaz Kek has a solid squad featuring stars like captain Jan Oblak and young striker Benjamin Sesko.
Before Tuesday's goalless draw in Cologne, they hadn't failed to score in 14 games since a 2-0 loss to Finland. So, the underdogs can pose a threat to one of the tournament favorites.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
After heavily rotating his squad in the last match, Roberto Martinez will bring back several key players for Monday's game, including Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, and Joao Cancelo.In the match against Georgia, only Joao Palhinha, goalkeeper Diogo Costa, and captain Cristiano Ronaldo were retained, and all three are expected to start again in Frankfurt. However, Ronaldo has not scored in his last seven major tournament appearances, his longest drought in the Euros and World Cup, with Goncalo Ramos waiting for his chance.
Rafael Leao, who missed out due to picking up two yellow cards for diving, will be available again and might start on the left wing. Diogo Jota and Francisco Conceicao are also in contention for starting spots.
On the other side, Slovenia will rely on former Primeira Liga star Andraz Sporar and young talent Benjamin Sesko to lead their attack. Both have started all three games so far but are yet to score from a combined 12 shots.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who joined Benfica in 2010 and helped them win the Portuguese treble and reach the Europa League final before moving to Atletico Madrid, may expect a busy night against some familiar faces.
Experienced coach Matjaz Kek usually prefers a straightforward 4-4-2 formation, with Timi Max Elsnik and Adam Gnezda Cerin anchoring the midfield. His only change might be Jure Balkovec replacing the suspended Erik Janza at left-back.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
Portugal possible starting lineup:Costa; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Mendes; Vitinha, Palhinha, Fernandes; B. Silva, Ronaldo, Leao
Slovenia possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Karnicnik, Drkusic, Bijol, Balkovec; Stojanovic, Elsnik, Gnezda Cerin, Mlakar; Sporar, Sesko
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Portugal 3-0 Slovenia
As long as Roberto Martinez doesn't experiment too much with tactics and personnel, Portugal's firepower should be too much for a hardworking Slovenia to handle.
With most Portuguese players having gotten some game time, even a tight Slovenian defense can be broken down by a wave of fresh-legged substitutes.
