Portugal vs Slovenia Matchday Stats Preview

This will be just the second ever meeting between Portugal and Slovenia, with the previous one coming back in March this year – a 2-0 friendly victory for Slovenia in Ljubljana.

Coming into the first knockout round at EURO 2024, Portugal currently hold the record for the biggest margin of victory in a round of 16 game at a major tournament (World Cup/EUROs): 6-1 v Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup.

Slovenia will play their first ever match in the knockout stages at a major tournament (World Cup/EUROs), while this will be Portugal’s 26th such match. Since winning EURO 2016, however, Portugal have lost three of their four games in the knockout stages at major tournaments (W1).

Portugal’s defeat against Georgia last time out ended a run of 12 consecutive wins in competitive action, while they haven’t lost back-to-back competitive games since EURO 2008 – 0-2 v Switzerland in the group stage and 2-3 v Germany in the quarter-final.

Slovenia have averaged just 32% possession at EURO 2024 so far, with only two sides progressing from the group stage at a single edition of the UEFA European Championship with a lower average – Iceland at EURO 2016 (29%) and Sweden at EURO 2020 (30%).

Only Germany (69% and 57) averaged more possession and had more shots than Portugal (67% and 53) during the EURO 2024 group stage, while Julian Nagelsmann’s (16) side were also the only team who faced fewer shots than Portugal during the group (23).

Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t scored in any of his last seven appearances for Portugal at major tournaments, his longest such drought across the UEFA European Championship and World Cup. He’s had 19 shots across the two competitions since last scoring versus Ghana at the 2022 World Cup.

Vitinha has completed more line-breaking passes (29) than any other Portugal player at EURO 2024, while his pass completion rate under high pressure is also the best of any player for his country (90% - min. 50 attempted).

Andraz Sporar and Benjamin Sesko have started all three of Slovenia’s games as a striker pair at EURO 2024, although they’re yet to score from a combined 12 shots between them (seven by Sporar and five by Sesko).

Slovenia midfielder Adam Gnezda Cerin made more high-intensity pressures (196) than any other player in the group stage at EURO 2024, while only Georgia’s Giorgi Kochorashvili (161) made more specifically in the defensive half than Gnezda Cerin (148).