Portugal will take on Slovenia in the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 on Monday, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.
Portugal were beaten by Georgia in their last outing, and Roberto Martinez will demand a strong reaction from his players when they lock horns with Slovenia at the Deutsche Bank Park on Monday night.
The Seleccao have a quality squad, and they should be pushing for the trophy this summer. It will be interesting to see if they can improve on their last outing and produce a match-winning performance here.
Meanwhile, Slovenia are yet to win in the Euros, and it remains to be seen whether they can produce a strong performance here and upset the odds. They will be the underdogs heading into this contest, but Portugal cannot afford to be complacent.
Portugal will have to be thoroughly professional and produce a strong performance to get past tomorrow’s opponents. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Portugal
There are no major absentees for Roberto Martinez here, and Portugal should be able to field a full-strength lineup against Slovenia. The Seleccao are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Diogo Costa in goal.
Joao Cancelo and Diogo Dalot are likely to be deployed in the full-back areas, and they will look to keep things compact defensively and help out in the attack. Ruben Dias will start alongside Goncalo Inacio in the central defensive partnership.
Joao Neves is likely to start alongside Ruben Neves in the midfield pivot. The two players will look to control the tempo of the game from the deep and protect the central defenders. Bruno Fernandes will continue in the attacking midfield role, with Diogo Jota and Pedro Neto on either side of him. Cristiano Ronaldo will lead the line for Portugal against Slovenia.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Dalot; Ruben Neves, Joao Neves; Jota, Bruno Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo
Slovenia
Slovenia will be without the services of Erik Janza here. The left-back is suspended for the crunch clash against Portugal. Matjaz Kek’s men are likely to shape up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Jan Oblak starting in goal.
Zan Karnicnik and Jure Balkovec will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to protect the side defensively and help out during counter-attacking situations. Vanja Drkusic will start alongside Jaka Bijol in the central defensive pairing.
Adam Cerin and Timi Elsnik will start in the middle of the park, and the central midfield duo will look to help out defensively and create goalscoring opportunities from the middle of the park as well.
Petar Stojanovic and Jan Mlakar will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side during counter-attacking situations. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for Slovenia alongside Andraz Sporar.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Karnicnik, Drkusic, Bijol, Balkovec; Mlakar, Elsnik, Cerin, Stojanovic; Sporar, Sesko
Key Stats
- Slovenia are winless in their last three matches.
- Portugal have picked up two wins and a defeat from their last three matches.
- Slovenia are yet to register their first win in the UEFA European Championships.
- Slovenia are yet to defeat an European opponent in a major tournament.
- Portugal have won 12 of their last 13 competitive matches.
- Portugal have kept a clean sheet in ten of their 13 competitive matches.
Player to Watch
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has not been at his best in the European Championships so far, but he has the experience of performing in pressure situations. The Portugal captain is a bonafide match winner, and he has a proven track record when it comes to performing in the big games. Portugal will need him to step up in the knockout rounds of the tournament, and he will be determined to showcase his quality here.
Prediction
Portugal 2-1 Slovenia
Slovenia are yet to pick up a win in the European Championships so far, but they have been difficult to beat. They will look to make life difficult for Portugal here, and Martinez’s men will have to step up their performance levels in order to grind out a win here.
On paper, Portugal are the better team and they have the experience and quality to find a way past the Slovenian resistance. A narrow win for Portugal is on the cards here. The Hard Tackle predicts Roberto Martinez and his charges to clinch a 2-1 victory to reach the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
