Portugal into quarterfinals as Costa saves 3 penalties

Goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved three penalties in a thrilling shootout, leading Portugal to a victory over Slovenia and securing their spot in the quarterfinals of the European Championship 2024.

The match, held in Frankfurt, ended goalless after regular and extra time, pushing the teams to a penalty shootout. Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo had missed a crucial penalty in extra time, but Costa’s heroics in the tiebreaker made all the difference. He saved all three of Slovenia’s penalty shots, resulting in a 3-0 win for Portugal.

Ronaldo’s missed penalty came in the final moments of the first half of extra time, as Slovenian captain Jan Oblak blocked his shot. Shortly after, Slovenia’s Benjamin Cesko missed a prime chance to take the lead when Pepe’s mistake put him one-on-one with Costa, who made a fantastic save.

In the penalty shootout, Costa blocked Josip Ilicic’s initial attempt, and Ronaldo promptly scored for Portugal. Costa then saved the next two Slovenian penalties, while Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva scored, sealing Portugal’s victory.

Next, Portugal will face France in the quarterfinals, after France’s 1-0 win over Belgium. In the upcoming round of 16 matches, Romania will take on the Netherlands, and Austria will face Turkey, with the winners set to meet in the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals will also feature matchups between England and Switzerland, and Germany and Spain.