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A game with no goals and little excitement: Slovenia-Portugal was no different from Slovenia’s previous games, ending their campaign with four draws, all against higher-rated oppositions. 

Slovenia will now return home with their heads held high: they weathered the storm and became the pride of a nation of 2.1 million inhabitants despite the heartbreak. 

While the summary sounds great on Slovenia’s end despite the elimination, the story is slightly different on Portugal’s side.

Ronaldo And Portugal, A Broken Formula

The emphasis on Portugal playing at a snail’s pace was obvious – almost as if they weren’t playing slow enough in previous fixtures. The South Europeans had been warned that if they continued to play in the same way, they could crash out, especially after a surprising defeat against Georgia (0-2). 

Still, Portugal persisted with a similar game plan, and Cristiano Ronaldo once again started as the striker in the line-up. This turned out to be the talking point of the night, as he still hasn’t found the back of the net. 

Not even a penalty in the 105th minute was enough to grant him a goal, as it was brilliantly saved by Atlético’s Jan Oblak. Curiously, Ronaldo was also tasked with taking the freekicks, but the same misses we’ve seen over the years repeated themselves – yesterday was no different.

While many players underperformed on Monday night, Ronaldo stood out the most. His performance is no different from that of the match against Georgia, Czechia, or Turkey. Not even against Georgia, which was a meaningless game for Portugal, did Roberto Martinez give Cristiano Ronaldo a rest. His status as the country’s home star has become a curse rather than a blessing so far in the tournament.

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Slovenia Continued The Same Formula

Everyone knew how Slovenia was going to play. They employed the same strategy against Serbia, Denmark, and England, not losing a single game, with all matches ending in draws.

Portugal had already been warned about Slovenia’s potential in a friendly dating back to March, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the Western Balkans. Once again, Slovenia gave up possession, only averaging 28% of ball possession. They have one of the lowest stats in this regard, but it turned out to be a smart game plan, forcing the opponent to create.

This tournament has been full of successful mid-blocks (Slovakia, Slovenia, Georgia), and there are no reasons international football shouldn’t see them. 

Success at the EURO is determined by the clarity of play (excluding England and France). Slovenia knew what they were relying on, and it turns out it is frustrating to play against a passive block.

Portugal didn’t have the antidote, and it was noticeable. They took all the time they had, yet they never found a way to break Slovenia’s block despite having a larger talent pool.

Cristiano Ronaldo stayed on, which raises the following question: Why was he still playing? Yes, he might be a leader and one of the best players of all time, but he is currently the worst striker in the entire tournament.

Portugal might have won, but the team knows that it must improve. Already before the game, it was obvious that Portugal could not take a win for granted. 

Slovenia’s Simplicity And Success

Slovenia lined ten players behind the ball, as Matjaž Kek continued with his defensive masterclass. They were also methodical, ready to jump at their marker when needed, but rarely stepping out of position. 

Kek can be proud of himself. Fourteen years after qualifying his country for the World Cup, his second spell saw Slovenia qualify for the EURO for the first time since 2000, marking a significant achievement for a country with only 2.1 million inhabitants. 

Portugal’s Worries

Portugal’s next opponent will not let them have endless possession, though it is another side that underperforms. Roberto Martinez’s side will face France, a nation that always ends up as one of the favorites due to its deep talent pool. 

They qualified through a single goal, an own goal, as Vertonghen was unfortunate enough to send it into his net. France still hasn’t scored from open play, but Portugal has already been warned thrice: they need to change, play faster, and take risks.

Until now, Portugal has avoided risk, and has relied on Vitinha’s brilliance to bail them out. Beyond that, it is unclear what the game plan is – because France’s athletes are likely to win the physical battles between the two superpowers, meaning Martinez needs to switch up his methods.

Portugal is full of stars, but Roberti Martinez hasn’t found a way to optimize their different assets. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva has remained invisible throughout Portugal’s campaign, which is a problem considering that his teammate, Bruno Fernandes, has also not impressed in the slightest.

Three Key Performers

If anything, the performance against Slovenia highlights three key performers for Portugal: Vitinha, Rafael Leao and Diogo Costa at the back. The 24-year-old goalkeeper is the reason why Portugal survived the penalties, saving all of Slovenia’s three shots.

The fact that half of the team has yet to show courage indicates that many things are wrong with Portugal. It couldn’t be more bittersweet for the fans, reminiscing about their EURO 2016 run, which ended in Portugal’s favor against France. 

Furthermore, the quarterfinal clash between Portugal and France in 2024 will be a showdown of the most uninspiring teams, despite the available talent. It is truly impressive that both managers have managed to get their teams to play one of the least exciting brands of football.

The two teams will face off on Friday in Hamburg – and time will tell whether Didier Deschamps and Roberto Martinez will come up with more inspiring elements to the game. 

Portugal needs to seriously rethink Cristiano’s role – both as a leader and free-kick taker. He’s been off the pace, and many other roles have been detrimental to the performances of multiple stars, including Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes.

If Portugal wants to win the tournament once again, they need to play to the strengths of their players. It might sound simplistic, but this isn’t rocket science. It shouldn’t be too much to ask for, and yet, Roberto Martinez hasn’t figured it out.