Portugal’s talented squad, led by captain Cristiano Ronaldo, will be under intense scrutiny when they face underdog Slovenia in their Euro 2024 Round-of-16 clash on Monday at the Frankfurt Arena. Despite topping Group F with six points, Portugal’s journey to Germany has been marred by an unexpected defeat against lowly Georgia, raising concerns about their ability to live up to the high expectations placed upon them as one of the favorites to win the title.
Even though Portugal fielded a second-string side during the loss to Georgia, the match was still led by Ronaldo and struggled to gain control against a Georgian team that approached each challenge with unwavering determination. Georgia employed a defensive strategy with a deep back five, a tactic that has been causing headaches for Portugal manager Roberto Martinez. The match against Georgia bore striking similarities to Portugal’s Euro opener against the Czech Republic, where they had to fight back from behind and snatch a 2-1 victory with a stoppage-time winner. This defensive approach is expected to be Slovenia’s game plan on Monday as well, with a disciplined back five designed to minimize space and launch explosive counter-attacks from long balls.
In March, Portugal faced a similar challenge against Slovenia, a match that marked Martinez’s first defeat after 12 games in charge since taking over from Fernando Santos following Portugal’s disappointing loss to Morocco in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals. Slovenia emerged victorious with a 2-0 win in Ljubljana, despite Portugal dominating possession with nearly 75% of the ball. Portugal struggled to penetrate Slovenia’s back five, ultimately succumbing to quick counter-attacks, a scenario eerily similar to their recent loss against Georgia.
Martinez, who led Belgium’s golden generation of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, and Vincent Kompany to the No. 1 spot in the world and a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, now faces a similar challenge with Portugal. He must guide his talented squad to reach their full potential and shake off the underachiever tag that has haunted them. Monday’s game, with Ronaldo on a mission to continue breaking records and a squad desperate to make a statement on the grand stage, represents the perfect opportunity to silence their critics as Portugal seeks their second European Championship title.
