Diogo Costa’s secret of saving 3 Slovenian penalty kicks in the last 16 matches of Euro 2024. Thanks to Diogo Costa’s brilliant action, the Portuguese national team was saved from defeat and thus qualified for the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
The Portuguese national team managed to beat Slovenia on penalties 0-0 (3-0). The match was held at Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday (2/7/2024).
Three Portuguese kickers, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva successfully carried out their duties well. Meanwhile, three Slovenian kickers failed miserably after a good performance from Diogo Costa.
The Porto goalkeeper became the first goalkeeper not to concede a goal in a penalty shootout at the Euros. After the match, Costa said he was very happy to be able to contribute greatly to his team’s victory.
“This is an extraordinary emotion. This is a difficult match, we knew what they were going to do and they did it well,” said Costa, quoted from the official Euro 2024 website, Tuesday (2/7/2024).
“I managed to focus throughout the match and waited for opportunities to help the team. “It was the most difficult match because I barely touched the ball, but the hard work paid off.”
Furthermore, Costa revealed the secret behind his terrible performance in the penalty shootout. The 24 year old goalkeeper said he followed his instincts to read his opponent’s kick.
“This time, I did it in a different way. I followed my instincts, I thought it would be the best decision and it was the best decision, so I’m very happy to be able to help the team, that’s the most important thing,” said Costa.
“I followed my intuition. Of course we have analyzed the penalty takers, but the players change and they change the way they kick. I am very happy and very excited to have helped the team,” he continued.
This victory ensures that the Portuguese national team will qualify for the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. In that round, they will face France at the Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany on Saturday 6 July 2024.
