Portugal’s national team secured their spot in EURO 2024 after defeating Slovakia with a score of 3-2.
Portugal’s national team only needed to beat Slovakia to guarantee an early qualification in the EURO 2024 qualifiers. With their excellent form maintained since the beginning of 2023, the mission to earn 3 points was well within the reach of coach Roberto Martinez’s team.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates did not disappoint their fans.
The most significant success for the Slovakian team in this match was scoring two goals. This was the first time Portugal’s defense was breached under Coach Martinez’s leadership. However, the two late goals in the second half were not enough to help the visiting team secure any points.
Portugal took the lead early in the match, with Goncalo Ramos scoring in the 18th minute after an assist from Bruno Fernandes. About 10 minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo successfully converted a penalty to double the lead.
The home team dominated with a total of 25 shot attempts, with 12 of them on target. Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had a challenging match.
David Hancko gave hope to the visiting team in the 69th minute with a goal to reduce the deficit. However, Portugal reestablished a two-goal lead just three minutes later. Fernandes once again played the role of the provider, setting up Ronaldo for a close-range goal.
Stanislav Lobotka added one more goal for Slovakia towards the end of the match. Nonetheless, Portugal controlled the game well, denying their opponents the opportunity to turn the tables. Ronaldo and his teammates emerged victorious with a score of 3-2 and secured their qualification for EURO 2024.
