The coach Fernando Santos recognized on Monday the “great quality” of Spain, but stressed that Portugal has to “focus on itself” and on winning, in the decisive match on Tuesday of Group A2 of the League of Nations in football .
The Portuguese coach undervalued the fact that the draw was useful, even because, in the last two times it happened, things did not go well, with defeats at home to France, in the previous League of Nations, and to Serbia, in the race for the 2022 world cup.
“There is a third time”, underlined Fernando Santos, giving the match recipe: “We are always closer to victory, which is what we seek in each match, if we focus on what we have to do, if we focus on ourselves. themselves”.
According to the Portuguese coach, who said he had “25 players to use”, after overcoming the physical problems of Danilo Pereira and João Félix, it is not a “narcissistic” position.
“We have to be humble, but knowing our capabilities, our potential. We have to be focused and aggressive”, said Fernando Santos, promising: “Portugal will play as they always have, nothing will change”.
The Portuguese coach expects, yes, difficulties, facing a Spain that comes from an unexpected defeat at home against Switzerland (1-2), which promoted Portugal to the leadership of Group A2 of the League of Nations, in the absence of a day.
“Spain is going to be the same, because they always play to win. Since 2008, its game pattern has been the same, although with some variations, taking into account the characteristics of the players. They always have the same philosophy and they always play to win,” he explained.
Fernando Santos made it clear that he identifies with the “most classic 4-3-3 of the Spaniards”, a “great team, with great quality and maturity”, that “in any circumstance would come to win”.
“We are motivated, because it is always motivating to be able to reach the final”, he said, rejecting any special pressure: “These players always play to win, to be champions. We know how to live well with pressure and, fortunately, we have achieved results.”
As for the ‘eleven’, Fernando Santos has not advanced, as usual, guaranteeing, however, that he has “absolute confidence” in everyone – that’s why they were summoned – and that everyone is “comfortable” in the “family”. that’s the selection.
“Not everyone can play,” he recalled, also showing confidence that the grass will be in good condition, after both teams opted not to use it in today’s training sessions, choosing secondary grasses from the Municipal de Braga.
According to Fernando Santos, “it is very important for both teams” that the pitch is “in good condition”. The match between Portugal and Spain, from the sixth and final day of Group A2 of the 2022/23 Nations League, takes place on Tuesday, at 7:45 p.m., at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, with the refereeing of the Italian Daniele Orsato.
After five days, the five lead the group, with 10 points, against eight from Spain, six from Switzerland and four from the Czech Republic, the first going to the ‘final four’ and the last relegated to League B.
Source: TSF
