This Saturday, Portugal seeks to flee at the top of Group J for the qualification for the Euro 2024 football tournament in the reception to Bosnia-Herzegovina, in which it will be the first test to ‘hurt’ for the new coach Robert Martínez.
After the expected significant victories over Liechtenstein (4-0), at the Estádio José Alvalade, and Luxembourg (6-0), the team receives again in Lisbon, at the Estádio da Luz, direct adversary for the fight for qualification, but one that in the past never beat the ‘quinas’ team.
Historically, in four matches, Portugal has won three and drawn just one and, on national soil, they have added two victories, in 2009 only 1-0, and in 2011, 6-2, both held in Luz, the scene of today’s match . . .
On Friday, in the last training session prior to the clash with the Bosnians, Martínez had a group already reduced to 25 players due to the loss of striker Gonçalo Ramos, who left work due to a right thigh problem, a problem that also prevents the player from Benfica would later travel to Iceland.
Diogo Costa’s return to the Portuguese goal is certain, to the detriment of Rui Patrício, after the national coach announced at a press conference that the goalkeeper is Portugal’s ‘No. 1’.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has never been in a Euro Cup final phase (it was in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil) and which recently achieved promotion to League A of the League of Nations, is led by Faruk Hadzibegic and striker Edin Dzeko (37 years old) and the midfielder Pjanic (33) are the big names in the team.
Portugal leads Group J with six points, followed by Slovakia, which has four, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland, both with three. Luxembourg, with a single point, and Liechtenstein, with no points, occupy the penultimate and last place, respectively.
Only the top two of the group qualify for the final round of Euro 2024, which will take place in Germany.
The match between Portugal and Bosnia-Herzegovina is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. and will be refereed by the Italian Davide Massa.
Source: TSF
