Euro 2024: Four Saves And A Funeral
Diogo Costa was Portugal's hero. Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears.
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By Patric Ridge
Portugal will face France in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, after the Selecao edged out Slovenia in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in Frankfurt, and Les Bleus beat Belgium 1-0 thanks to an own goal from Jan Vertonghen.
Cristiano Ronaldo made the headlines, though, with his penalty miss in extra time — Diogo Costa proving Portugal’s hero in the shootout.
Here, we break down the key moments from that match. A tale of four saves, and what felt like a funeral for Ronaldo’s international career.
COSTA’S HISTORY-MAKING HEROICS
According to Opta, Costa became the first goalkeeper to keep out three spot-kicks in a Euros penalty shootout while also not conceding a goal in the history of the competition.
He was fantastic, guessing the right way for each of Slovenia’s three penalties, yet also reacting brilliantly to parry the ball away.
The pressure was on, but Josip Ilicic, Benjamin Verbic and Jure Balkovec all failed to beat the Porto shot-stopper, who was previously mooted as a target for Manchester United.
But it was not only in the shootout that Costa came up big. Deep in extra time, he had made a fantastic stop to deny Benjamin Sesko, who had run through on goal after Pepe’s error.
Fortunately for Portugal’s veterans, and Roberto Martinez, Costa dug them out of trouble.
RONALDO’S TEARS
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