Photo: Jure Makovec/AFP via Getty Images – Caption: Cristiano Ronaldo fighting for the ball with Timi Elsnik, from Slovenia – / Play10
The Portuguese team suffered, this Tuesday (26), its first defeat under the command of coach Roberto Martínez. Even with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal was defeated 2-0 by Slovenia, at the Stožice Stadium, in Ljubljana. After a balanced first half, the home team surprised in the second half and secured the triumph with goals from Gnezda Cerin and Elsnik.
However, despite the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, coach Roberto Martínez maintained the rotation in the team and gave opportunities to some athletes in this period of preparation for the European Championship. Furthermore, number 7 didn’t have a great performance and wasted chances that he doesn’t usually miss.
At the same time, Portugal saw its 11-game unbeaten run come to an end. Furthermore, it was Roberto Martínez’s first defeat since taking over the Portuguese national team after the World Cup in Qatar.
Slovenia x Portugal
The Portuguese team dominated possession of the ball in the first half, but were unable to transform their dominance into real scoring chances. On the other hand, Slovenia had a more defensive posture and relied on counterattacks. However, the teams did not remove the zero from the scoreboard.
In the second stage, the initial scenario was similar, but Cristiano Ronaldo, who was not having a good day, wasted Portugal’s two big chances. Thus, the home team surprised and opened the scoring in the 26th minute, with a great goal from midfielder Cerin, who finished with style to open the scoring. The goal encouraged Slovenia, who managed to expand with another beautiful goal, this time from number 10 Elsnik, in the 34th minute.
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