Costa the hero as Portugal beat Slovenia on penalties to set up France clash

Portugal advanced to the UEFA European Championships quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory on penalties following a disappointing 0-0 draw against Slovenia.

Despite the lackluster performance, Slovenia made history by reaching the knockout stages of an international tournament for the first time ever.

After suffering a surprising 2-0 defeat to Slovenia in March, Roberto Martinez faced a challenging start to his tenure as Portugal's manager.

The Slovenian defense proved to be resilient, making it difficult for Portugal to score despite half chances for Rafael Leao and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who had taken the most shots in the tournament without scoring, was determined to break his goal drought. However, his efforts were in vain as he missed several opportunities, including headers and free kicks.

Slovenia had their chances as well, with Benjamin Sesko testing Diogo Costa with a powerful shot. Portugal came close to scoring with a Joao Palhinha strike that hit the post just before halftime.

Despite Ronaldo's struggles to beat Jan Oblak, Slovenia's goalkeeper, Portugal managed to hold their own. In the end, it was a tense match that required penalties to determine the winner.

The thrill began to diminish as both teams geared up for extra time, with Šeško missing wide on the break before Ronaldo's shot was saved by Oblak, marking his best chance of the game thus far.

Portugal had struggled to create opportunities during regular time, but they were handed their best chance when Vanja Drkusic fouled Diogo Jota in the box, leading to a penalty awarded by referee Daniele Orsato.

Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty once more, only to be thwarted by an incredible save from Oblak, who deflected the ball onto the post and away.

As the match seemed destined for penalties, Pepe's error allowed Šeško a clear shot on goal, but a crucial save from Diogo Costa denied him a potential game-winning goal.

Slovenia missed all three of their initial penalty attempts, while Portugal converted all of theirs, including the decisive goal from Bernardo Silva.

Although Portugal faced more challenges than anticipated, they managed to secure a spot in the quarter-finals against France, surpassing their performance from three years ago when they were defeated by Belgium.

Regardless of the outcome, the streets of Ljubljana are sure to be filled with celebrations tonight, honoring a team that has achieved unprecedented success for the small nation nestled along the Adriatic coast.