Day 18 of the match will likely be remembered most for Cristiano Ronaldo’s tears and the heroics of Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
The goalkeeper turned the primary to save lots of three penalties in a shootout on the European Championship after denying Slovenia all three of their makes an attempt, and spared Ronaldo’s blushes after the veteran striker had seen his personal penalty in further time pushed away by a diving Jan Oblak.
The ahead was lowered to tears and needed to be consoled by his team-mates within the instant aftermath of his miss, however recovered his poise to attain Portugal’s opening kick of the shootout after the sport completed goalless.
Whereas Portugal squeaked by, one other heavyweight nation departed Euro 2024 on Monday with Belgium eradicated by France courtesy of a late personal objective. Off the pitch, UEFA launched an investigation into England’s Jude Bellingham, whereas the price of supporter indiscipline to the respective nationwide football associations was additionally revealed.
Our writers clarify the important thing moments from day 18.
Ronaldo spared by Diogo Costa’s heroics
The sight of Ronaldo sobbing uncontrollably as he tried to understand his penalty miss in further time might change into one of many defining pictures not simply of Euro 2024, however of any European Championship.
His team-mates tried to console and refocus their captain — Diogo Dalot comforted and kissed him, Joao Palhinha gave a stern phrase and Bruno Fernandes supplied some quiet recommendation in his ear. However to see the person honored as the best Portuguese and presumably even European player of all time lowered to floods of tears was fairly astonishing.
So too was his spurned penalty (which was extra of a shocking save from Oblak) within the first half of additional time, simply when it seemed as if he would have the ultimate say.
Ronaldo is devastated after seeing his extra-time penalty saved (Torsten Silz/image alliance through Getty Photographs)
He might have scored tons of of occasions throughout his profession however it’s exhausting to think about a participant being extra anguished and determined to attain a objective than Ronaldo was all through this sport.
As soon as once more he had the fewest touches and most photographs within the Portugal group. That’s 20 he’s had at Euro 2024, greater than another participant on the match, and he nonetheless hasn’t scored (penalty within the shootout apart). However, all that stated, it’s a must to admire the mentality he confirmed to step up and rating Portugal’s first penalty within the shootout, so quickly after being visibly distraught.
Because it was, Diogo Costa summoned three gorgeous saves to propel the Portuguese right into a quarter-final in opposition to France, when Ronaldo will little question have one other alternative to interrupt his match duck.
Tim Spiers
Sting within the tail for Bellingham
Jude Bellingham was England’s saviour in opposition to Slovakia, conjuring a shocking overhead kick in stoppage time to haul his group degree and into an additional half-hour. However the Actual Madrid midfielder now finds himself underneath investigation by UEFA.
The 21-year-old appeared to make a lewd gesture in direction of the Slovakia bench within the instant aftermath to his equaliser, with UEFA confirming on Monday that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector will conduct a disciplinary investigation “relating to a possible violation of the essential guidelines of respectable conduct”.
Bellingham is underneath investigation by UEFA (Bradley Collyer/PA Photographs through Getty Photographs)
Bellingham appeared to observe his Ninety fifth-minute strike in Gelsenkirchen by making the gesture. In accordance with the legal guidelines of the sport, any “obscene gesture” or “offensive or insulting motion” needs to be punishable by a crimson card.
The England midfielder later claimed on social media that it was an “inside joke gesture” made in direction of his shut mates who had been in attendance on the sport. “Nothing however respect for the way that Slovakia group performed tonight,” he added.
🥱❌- An inside joke gesture in direction of some shut mates who had been on the sport. Nothing however respect for the way that Slovakia group performed tonight.🤝🏽 https://t.co/H8sETMkPoi
— Jude Bellingham (@BellinghamJude) June 30, 2024
Whereas they wait to listen to the outcomes of the investigation, England will likely be relieved that Declan Rice is ready to keep away from any retrospective motion for his post-match altercation with Francesco Calzona, the Slovakia supervisor.
The Arsenal participant reacted angrily to being pushed within the chest by Calzona after the supervisor approached Halil Umut Meler, the referee, at full time.
Dan Sheldon
GO DEEPER
Jude Bellingham – who else?
When will France rating from open play?
Head coach Didier Deschamps made the purpose that France wouldn’t have crushed Belgium had his substitute Randal Kolo Muani not conjured the cross-shot which was deflected in inadvertently by Jan Vertonghen, however that effort was dominated to be the ninth personal objective of the match.
That signifies that, technically talking, Les Bleus are by to a quarter-final in opposition to Portugal regardless of no French participant having scored a objective in open play up to now this summer time.
The group’s solely rewards within the group stage had been an personal objective from Austria’s Maximilian Wober and a Kylian Mbappe penalty in opposition to Poland. The tight contest with Belgium means Deschamps’ aspect — who’ve reached two World Cup finals and one European Championship remaining underneath his stewardship — nonetheless lack a leading edge.
That ruthless, skilled effectivity that has underpinned their mastery of knockout soccer stays elusive.
Mbappe celebrates with Kolo Muani, however no French participant has scored from open play (Stefan Matzke – sampics/Getty Photographs)
The competition in Dusseldorf confirmed they will nonetheless edge games and, encouragingly, discover a approach to win. However they’ve a distinctly unfamiliar bluntness within the remaining third.
In some methods, they’ve confronted related struggles as match favourites to England. However in contrast to Gareth Southgate’s group, it’s their wastefulness that catches the attention. Towards Belgium, they managed 19 makes an attempt however few had been clear-cut.
A masked Kylian Mbappe supplied flashes of his high quality in opposition to the Belgians, however his menacing runs too usually culminated in wild photographs. Even Actual Madrid’s new signing is struggling to weigh in with targets at this match.
The worry for his or her opponents on the robust aspect of the draw is that, at some stage, the French will click on. However for now, Deschamps continues to be striving to coax targets from his group of contenders.
Peter Rutzler
The place do Belgium go from right here?
At the very least in Dusseldorf there was no backlash from Belgium’s supporters after the defeat to the French. One man walked previous the media tribute shouting that it was (expletives eliminated) a “shame” and that the journalists in his neighborhood ought to report it as such. Total, although, there was no mutiny — definitely not in comparison with their remaining group sport in opposition to Ukraine.
As captain Kevin De Bruyne went over to the followers after the ultimate whistle, they applauded their captain. De Bruyne stared again and there was unmistakable unhappiness on his face.
A glum De Bruyne and his team-mates after the ultimate whistle (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside through Getty Photographs)
Sadly for De Bruyne, these are the moments when he should wonder if they’ve blown their finest likelihood of ever profitable a match. Too usually it has been a narrative of this smallish nation (inhabitants 11.6 million) producing sensible players just for it to result in nothing for the nationwide group.
And now, one other inquest, one other interval of soul-searching to look at what has gone fallacious, and easy methods to put it proper.
De Bruyne says he’s not retiring from worldwide soccer. However he, their finest participant, will likely be 34 on the subsequent World Cup. Romelu Lukaku — goalless at this match — will likely be 33 on the subsequent World Cup. Different gamers are coming by, however are they of the identical degree because the gamers from Belgium’s so-called golden era? No, this match strongly suggests they aren’t.
Daniel Taylor
Belgium coach Federico Tedesco cuts a pissed off determine (Jürgen Fromme – firo sportphoto/Getty Photographs)
One other fantastic mess
Nationwide soccer associations represented at Euro 2024 had been fined greater than €1.2million by organisers UEFA through the match’s group phases.
The fines, which whole €1,293,645 (£1,097,328; $1,635,123), relate to the nationwide respective sides’ supporters through the matches, however host nation Germany had been fined twice for his or her failure in “safety of the enjoying space” — regarding followers coming into the pitch within the sport — throughout Portugal’s group video games in opposition to Turkey and Georgia respectively.
Eight groups — Hungary, Switzerland, Croatia, Albania, Poland, Serbia, Romania and Belgium — acquired fines for his or her followers’ behaviour throughout all three of their respective group-stage matches. Meaning 21 of the 24 nations had been fined at the very least as soon as through the group phases, with solely France, Spain and Slovakia not being sanctioned by European soccer’s governing physique.
Croatia had been the nation to build up the best fines (€220,875) with Balkan neighbours Albania (€171,375) and Serbia (€166,625) finishing the highest three.
Colin Millar
What’s subsequent?
The spherical of 16 concludes on Tuesday with Romania taking up the Netherlands in Munich, then a gathering of two of the match’s shock packages as Austria and Turkey collide in Leipzig.
- Romania vs Netherlands (5pm BST/12pm ET)
- Austria vs Turkey (8pm BST/3pm ET)
(High picture: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP through Getty Photographs)
