Euro 2024: Portugal Poised to Make Light Work of Slovenia

Portugal vs Slovenia

Portugal’s quest to reclaim lost glory continues here in the Euro 2024 Round of 16, where they will take on Slovenia on Monday at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.

The Euro 2016 winners made it this far by winning their first two games against Czech Republic and Turkey in Group F. But Roberto Martinez’s side is coming off a setback, as they lost to Georgia last time out so they will aim to bounce back.

In stark contrast, Slovenia barely made it to the knockout rounds. They drew all three of their Group C games against England, Denmark, and Serbia, and if it weren’t for Serbia losing to England in the opener, they wouldn’t be here.

So, the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds have the Selecao as the big favourites to win, and there’s a valid question whether Slovenia can put up a fight or not.

 

Talking Points                  

Ronaldo looks far from finished for Portugal

While Portugal are slowly trying to veer away from being over-reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo’s heroics, they will still need him to be at his best.

Despite being 39 years old, the Portuguese captain has been a key cog in the final third. Ronaldo is ranked eighth in opposition box touches (16), fifth in big chances created (2), four in assists (1), third in shots on target (5), and first in most shots (12) of the tournament.

The only time Ronaldo has a relatively anonymous performance was in their 2-0 defeat against Georgia, but they were already through to the knockouts at the time. He should have fresher legs after exiting the game earlier than expected during the 66^th minute.

With that said, expect the Al-Nassr star to be ultra-aggressive against Slovenia since he hasn’t scored a single goal so far in this competition.

There’s more good news for the Selecao, as Rafael Leao will return in the lineup after serving his one-match suspension against Georgia, while Bruno Fernandes will be also well-rested after taking the night off.

Overall, Slovenia’s defenders are in for a long night because Portugal also has the likes of Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Francisco Conceicao, Joao Felix, and Goncalo Ramos all ready to contribute up front.

 

Slovenia need the real Sesko to show up

Unlike Portugal, Slovenia only have one real attacking threat in Benjamin Sesko. However, he has yet to leave his imprint here in the Euros.

Sesko was dubbed as one of the top youngsters to watch in this tournament after coming off a successful 2023-24 campaign with RB Leipzig, where he recorded 16 goals and two assists in his debut year.

With his unique physical profile, Sesko can make life difficult for Portugal’s backline, especially if one of their young centre-backs starts on Monday.

However, chances will come few and far between for Slovenia as Erik Janza, who scored the equaliser against Denmark with his overlapping runs, is suspended against Portugal due to having two yellow cards. He will be replaced by Jure Balkovec the starting XI.

 

History

Monday marks the first-ever encounter between Portugal and Slovenia at a major tournament.

Before this, these two sides met in an international friendly match a few months ago, when Slovenia notched an unlikely 2-0 victory as the midfield duo of Adam Gnezda Cerin and Timi Max Elsnik found the back of the net in the second half. This was Roberto Martinez’s first loss as Portugal boss.

Since then, Portugal have gone four wins and two losses in their last six matches in all competitions.

While Portugal were the winners of Euro 2016, this is only Slovenia’s second foray in the Euros since Yugoslavia were broken up.

As an independent nation, today is the first time Slovenia made it out of the group stage, and they will be aiming for more.

 

Betting Tip

The Euro 2024 odds have Portugal as the overwhelming favourites to win on Monday. Roberto Martinez’s side is priced at 1.36, whereas Matjaz Kek’s men are 8.80 underdogs and a draw is at 4.44 in the 1X2 market.

Portugal are one of the most exciting sides in this tournament, so football fans can expect them to create new Euro 2024 highlights this weekend, making alternative bets like Over 2.25 at 1.80, Over 2.50 at 2.06, Over 2.75 at 2.35, Total Goals 2-3 at 1.91, and even Total Goals 4-6 at 3.56 worth considering.

However, if you fancy Slovenia’s chances of causing a huge upset, then check out the Correct Score of 2-0 – the result of their previous meeting – given its staggering 70.00 offer.

   

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