Euro 2024: Portugal brings title-winning expertise vs. newcomer Slovenia

Portugal performs Slovenia on Monday (3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports activities app) within the spherical of 16 on the European Championship. Portugal is coming off a loss, whereas Slovenia has 4 straight attracts. 

The winner will advance to face Belgium or France within the quarterfinals on Friday. 

This is what to know in regards to the match:

Match info

• Portugal begins the group stage with wins over the Czech Republic and Turkey, then rests some starters within the third recreation and loses 2-0. Sound acquainted? Portugal began Euro 2008 simply because it has 16 years later. Then, Portugal didn’t get its momentum again and was eradicated within the first knockout spherical — to a Germany crew heading to the ultimate. Slovenia is a unique sort of take a look at.
• Slovenia will play its first knockout recreation at a serious event in 32 years as an impartial soccer nation. Slovenia went residence after the group stage at Euro 2000, and the World Cups of 2002 and 2010, although solely the highest two superior at these tournaments.
• Slovenia began Euro 2024 the identical method eventual champion Portugal did in 2016: three straight attracts, no wins within the group to advance among the many greatest third-place groups.
• Portugal already has extra wins in 90 minutes at this event (two) than in its 2016 title-winning marketing campaign (one).
• Frankfurt hosts its fifth and ultimate recreation and isn’t a metropolis the place favorites thrive. Thus far right here, Belgium misplaced to Slovakia, England performed poorly in a draw towards Denmark, and Germany wanted a stoppage-time equalizer towards Switzerland.
• Portugal is coming off a shock loss to Georgia on June 26.

Group information

• On the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped to the bench for the spherical of 16 recreation that Portugal gained 6-1 towards Switzerland. His substitute, Gonçalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick. That was by then-coach Fernando Santos. Ronaldo is in higher standing with present coach Roberto Martinez, and Ramos bought simply 24 minutes off the bench to this point.
• Josip Iličić has not began a recreation for Slovenia, however the 36-year-old’s return to the nationwide crew has been a constructive story. The previous Atalanta participant’s profession was derailed by melancholy he suffered in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Iličić got here on as an alternative within the 0-0 draw with England on Tuesday.

By the numbers

• That is the second most lopsided mismatch by FIFA world rankings of the spherical of 16. There are 51 rating locations between No. 6 Portugal and No. 57 Slovenia however 66 between No. 8 Spain and No. 74 Georgia.
• 2-0. The rating Slovenia beat Portugal by in March once they performed a pleasant in Ljubljana.
• Slovenia misplaced simply as soon as in 15 video games over the previous yr, a 2-1 defeat in Denmark final November of their qualifying group.
• Solely Germany had extra makes an attempt on purpose than Portugal’s 54 within the group stage. Solely Scotland had fewer than Slovenia’s 25. Slovenia star ahead Benjamin Šeško had 5 of these makes an attempt with out scoring but.
• Portugal defender Pepe continues to increase his event report because the oldest-ever participant. He might be aged 41 years and 126 days on Monday.
• Cristiano Ronaldo, who turned 39 in February, will set the report because the oldest ever scorer if and when he will get his first purpose at Euro 2024. The report is held by Luka Modrić, scoring towards Italy on Monday at 38 years previous.

What they’re saying

• “He will be superb for this knockout part of the event, and I hope — or I am certain —that he’ll give us a variety of pleasure.” — Pepe praises Ronaldo
• “Two years in the past, we performed towards Serbia, and we misplaced 4-1 in Belgrade. This was a turning level and since then we have solely grown as a crew.” — Slovenia midfielder Adam Gnezda Čern

Reporting by The Related Press.