Portugal pushed their luck as they defeated Slovenia on penalties after a nervy 0-0 draw in Frankfurt.
In the first half, Roberto Martínez's team had all the ball but constantly failed to deliver the end product. Crosses were either headed away by the superb Slovenian centre-backs or collected calmly by the towering Jan Oblak.
The first half also saw a frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo consistently try to force his way into the game to no avail. He asked for the ball when there was not on pass and attempted free kicks from ludicrous positions.
Portugal continued with their sterile possession in the second half, which amounted to nothing, but Slovenia were seemingly always a threat on the break. Benjamin Šeško had the best chance in normal time to win it, but he dragged his effort wide.
The sides could not be separated in regulation time; an extra thirty minutes were required.
It carried on in the same manner as the previous 90 minutes, with Portugal controlling the ball but not doing much with it.
Late into the first period of extra time, the Portuguese were gifted a penalty, and Ronaldo had an opportunity to silence his critics.
Instead, he saw his effort saved by the domineering Oblak.
The Portuguese captain's eyes filled with tears, and he needed to be rallied by his teammates during the extra-time interval.
The second period of extra time saw Šeško have a guilt-edged chance saved by Diogo Costa.
We were going to penalties.
Costa was sensational in the shootout and saved all three Slovenian spot kicks, while Portugal scored all three of theirs to advance to the last eight.
It was far from a perfect night for the Portuguese, but what did we learn from the game?
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Portugal's infatuation with Ronaldo nearly cost them
Portugal's game plan was bizarre throughout this match. There was an overwhelming desire to get Cristiano Ronaldo a goal.
It was as if the match had the spirit of a charity match, where everyone was focused on getting one ex-pro a goal to relive the glory days of the past.
This is the last 16 of the UEFA European Championship, you cannot afford to indulge in such affairs, but they very much did.
Ronaldo has evolved as a player. He is no longer the tippy-toed winger we once knew. He is now much more like your classic old-school number nine.
He puts himself about in the box and uses his physical presence to try and win aerial duals, and there is a time and a place for that, but that was not tonight.
The Portuguese have such a wide array of dynamic and exciting talent, yet they decided to play like 2006 Bolton Wanderers, catering to the ego and need of one man, endlessly lumping balls into the box when the Slovenia defence were treating that as meat and drink.
The former Real Madrid man also had an endless desire to take every free kick within 40 yards of the Slovenia goal.
He was not just taking the free kicks but also shooting from them, including one bemusing effort from the tightest of angles imaginable.
Players like Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva did not get a look in the set piece department.
The former Manchester United star also saw a penalty saved in the first half of extra time, which, to be fair to him, was a sensational save from Jan Oblak.
Before they take on France, Portugal must address this constant need to cater to a 39-year-old who is way past his best; otherwise, they stand absolutely no chance.
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Slovenia's back five delivered a masterclass
Coming into this game, Matjaž Kek's side had had the lowest amount of possession out of any side in the competition.
It was no secret how they were going to play. They would sit in a low block with their two banks of four and attempt to frustrate Portugal, and when an opportunity arose, they would counter.
This is much easier said than done, but Slovenia did it expertly.
In goal, Jan Oblak controlled his box, was calm, and was always composed between the sticks. The Atlético Madrid goalkeeper also made an extraordinary save from Ronaldo's penalty.
The two full-backs, Jure Balkovec and Žan Karničnik delivered exquisite performances and constantly shut down Portugal's wingers and wing backs.
Even in the dying embers of extra time, Balkovec was still wrestling with João Cancelo to ensure his side made it through to penalties.
But the two standout performers were the centre-backs.
Jaka Bijol of Udinese and Vanja Drkušić delivered one of the finest performances we are likely to see at this tournament. It was a demonstration of how to play as a centre-back.
They were physical, without over-exerting themselves. They communicated clearly and expertly with their fellow defenders.
The two were first to everything in that box; they hoovered up anything that came their way.
It could be said that Roberto Martínez's side played in their hands by constantly firing balls into the box, but the Slovenia defenders still had to deal with those balls and deal with them they did.
It was an absolutely astonishing display from the back five.
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Portugal must improve to stand any chance against France
One thing is sure: if the Navegadores play as they did against Slovenia when they play France, they will be eaten alive.
They were tepid and looked short of ideas going forward. The whole thing became monotonous, with some of the finest players in the world looking clueless at times.
There is an argument that they may be because their opponents sat incredibly deep and soaked up pressure, and while yes, that is true, it does not change the fact that they were poor.
Also, it is not as if Slovenia did not have chances; Šeško had two opportunities, one being an absolute golden chance towards the end of extra-time.
Slovenia looked dangerous on the counter, so imagine what Didier Deschamps' team will be able to do if afforded that kind of space and opportunity.
It is clear that Portugal have a lot to work on in the coming days, and they will seriously need to improve to advance in the competition.
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Roberto Martínez must be brave
The former Belgium manager has some massive decisions to make before his side takes to the field on Friday night in Hamburg.
The two wide men (Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leão) struggled tonight and found it difficult to create chances. This could be because they are being asked to do something they are not accustomed to doing.
They are seemingly being told to play like traditional old-school wingers, sticking close to the byline and trying to put balls into the box.
We are used to seeing them both play with such dynamism and joy that watching the pair play in this way is jarring.
There are two solutions to this issue: the first is to look to wingers in the squad who are more comfortable playing this way, maybe someone like Wolves' Pedro Neto or Francisco Conceição. The second option is to put their captain, Ronaldo, on the bench.
Clearly, the plan of "lumping it to the big man" will only carry you so far.
Gonçalo Ramos and João Félix are sitting on the bench twiddling their thumbs. Adding either of these two to the side will likely add more flexibility to the front three.
For these changes to happen, Martínez must be brave and drop his skipper to benefit his entire team.
