Portugal match schedule

Cristiano Ronaldo and Co remain favourites to win the tournament and hold the record for most wins in the last 16 at a major tournament. But since lifting the European Cup in 2016, Portugal have lost three of their four knockout games at either the European Championship or the World Cup.

Can the Portuguese team (right) overcome the pressure of being the "top team" when meeting Slovenia?

After rotating his squad in the final round of the group stage, coach Martinez will return to some key players for the match against Slovenia, such as Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and veteran centre-back Pepe alongside Ronaldo, Vitinha and Joao Cancelo. The biggest concern for coach Martinez is that Ronaldo has not scored in his last 7 appearances at major tournaments. Although rated much higher than his opponents in every aspect, this has unintentionally put a lot of pressure on Portugal.

Meanwhile, Slovenia will be in high spirits as they have reached the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time. So, regardless of the result against Portugal, coach Matjaz Kek's team will have reason to celebrate. A goalless draw with England in the final match of Group C helped Slovenia advance to the round of 16, while also extending their unbeaten run to nine matches. That is something that Portugal must be extremely cautious about. While Slovenia only averaged 32% possession at EURO 2024 - only two teams have ever advanced from the group stage with this low rate - Mr. Kek is confident of causing a surprise with a cohesive and balanced squad in all three lines, in which expectations will be placed on goalkeeper - captain Jan Oblak, midfielder Andraz Sporar and young striker Benjamin Sesko. Experienced coach Matjaz Kek usually favours a pragmatic 4-4-2 formation, with Timi Max Elsnik and Adam Gnezda Cerin occupying the central midfield positions. His only change could be Jure Balkovec replacing the suspended Erik Janza at left-back. Against opponents with a star-studded squad, Slovenia are determined to create a second shock for Portugal and "avenge" the 0-2 defeat in a friendly in March at home.

The match between Portugal and Slovenia takes place at 2:00 on July 2.

Player Chuong Thi Kieu: Ronaldo will help Portugal advance

Slovenia is a team that cannot be underestimated, having held strong opponents like England and Denmark to a draw in the group stage. However, I still have faith that Ronaldo will shine to help Portugal advance. Ronaldo may no longer be the center of the Portuguese team's play, but his class and experience are still very valuable in knockout matches like this. Prediction: Portugal wins 2-1.

Tieu Bao (recorded)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lich-thi-dau-bo-dao-nha-slovenia-den-luc-ronaldo-phai-len-tieng-185240630213507668.htm