Portugal v Slovenia: Euro 2024, last 16 – live

Last time out. Portugal’s previous game was the Georgia defeat, but as we’ve already mentioned, that one registers a top score of 11 on our fully copyrighted Apples-and-Oranges-o-meter™. So instead let’s relive what happened the last time this particular Portuguese XI took to the field …

… while also reacquainting ourselves with this footballing clinic.

Only three Portuguese players keep their place in the starting XI after the 2-0 defeat to Georgia: Cristiano Ronaldo, João Palhinha and Diogo Costa. However Roberto Martinez had sent out most of his second string for that match, so perhaps it’s more instructive to compare this team to the one that dispatched Türkiye 3-0 … and it’s exactly the same XI. If it ain’t broke, huh.

Slovenia make just one change to the side that eked out a goalless draw with England. Erik Janža is suspended so Jure Balkovec replaces him at left-back.

Portugal: Costa, Joao Cancelo, Dias, Pepe, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Palhinha, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Leao, Ronaldo.
Subs: Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Dalot, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Jose Sa, Danilo Pereira, Inacio, Joao Neves, Matheus Luiz, Ruben Neves, Jota, Silva, Pedro Neto, Francisco Conceicao.

Slovenia: Oblak, Karnicnik, Drkusic, Bijol, Balkovec, Stojanovic, Cerin, Elsnik, Mlakar, Sporar, Sesko.
Subs: Blazic, Stankovic, Verbic, Lovric, Belec, Kurtic, Horvat, Vekic, Vipotnik, Celar, Brekalo, Zugelj, Zeljkovic, Ilicic.

Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy).

Portugal have won the European Championship once, contested the final twice, and made it to the semis on five occasions. They dispatched Czechia and Türkiye in the group stage before sending a second string out to defeat against Georgia, and are many a pundit’s tip for another deep run this time round. Slovenia by contrast have never won a game at a Euro finals, coming bottom of their group at Euro 2000 and squeaking through to the knockouts this year with three draws.

On the face of it, then, this should be a shoo-in for hot favourites Portugal. However there’s the small matter of a 2-0 defeat to the Slovenians in Ljubljana last March, a result Bruno Fernandes insists will prove beneficial and educational. And in any case, the round of 16 has already seen the Swiss beat Italy, Slovakia come within 86 seconds of dispatching England, Georgia taking the lead against Spain, and Denmark finding themselves the width of a toenail away from leading the hosts Germany. So nobody’s had it easy, and Slovenia – who were denied a first Euros win against Serbia in the 95th minute, after all – will fancy their chances of causing some status-usurping trouble of their own. Kick off in Frankfurt is at 8pm BST. It’s on!