For the second EC match in a row, a penalty shoot-out was required for Portugal, but unlike in the round of 16 – where the team knocked out Slovenia – the quarter-final saw a loss against France.
Big accident bird was 24-year-old João Félix who shot his penalty into the post and out for Portugal.
It was otherwise a quarter-final between two big teams with each a superstar on the field – France’s Kylian Mbappé and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo – then the audience in Hamburg was treated to an extremely cautious start, where neither team seemed to want to take any risks.
Forced into a one handed rescue
It took just over an hour of play before the match started. Then Portugal seemed to shift into a higher gear, lining up three dangerous chances in the space of a couple of minutes.
First, the French goalkeeper Mike Maignan was forced into a fancy one-handed save after Bruno Fernandes was given a chance. In the sequence that followed, João Cancelo had the chance – but the shot went wide. Only minutes later came the next chance when Vitinha burned a great position.
France’s answer to that: Randal Kolo Muani with a situation that forced Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa into an intervention to keep the game goalless. Eduardo Camavinga was the next Frenchman to get a chance – but from close range he sent the ball narrowly wide of the goal.
Pepe in tears
However, there were no goals despite the many chances and the match went to extra time, which also ended goalless – and the penalty shootout was a fact.
After Theo Hernandez scored the final kick of the shootout – sending “Les Bleus” through to the championship – 41-year-old veteran Pepe cried and was comforted by Cristiano Ronaldo, who embraced his compatriot.
We have to go through this moment of our loss, it is very painful, said Pepe after the match.
In the semi-finals, which will be played on Tuesday, the French meet Spain.
An emotional Pepe is embraced by Cristiano Ronaldo after the loss.
An emotional Pepe is embraced by Cristiano Ronaldo after the loss.
Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP/TT