GENERICO.ruСпортIs Ronaldo the problem? Mourinho was stunned! How Portugal will take on Euro 2024

Is Ronaldo the problem? Mourinho was stunned! How Portugal will take on Euro 2024

The Portuguese national team is one of the favorites of the European Championship. Sports tells what Cristiano Ronaldo and his team are capable of in Germany — to disgrace themselves or repeat the success of 2016.

Ten victories out of ten possible
In the qualifying tournament for the European Championship, the Portuguese were far from the “group of death”. Slovakia, Luxembourg, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Roberto Martinez's team was simply obliged to come out in first place. But even with such a line-up of opponents, the final result is respectable: ten wins in ten matches. Only the Portuguese team managed to show a 100% result in the selection process. At the same time, 36 goals were scored and only two were conceded. This is not only the team that scores the most goals, but also the team that concedes the least. The top scorer was Cristiano Ronaldo with 10 goals scored.

A coach from the bottom of the Premier League
The Spaniard Roberto Martinez is in charge of the Portugal national team. During his coaching career, he headed Swansea, Wigan and Everton, but everyone remembers him for his work with the Belgian national team. The bronze of the 2018 World Cup was a historic achievement for the Belgians, and the name Martinez gained worldwide fame. At Euro 2020, the Belgian team only reached the quarterfinals, but along the way they managed to knock out the Portuguese.

But the 2022 World Cup ended for the Spaniard already at the group stage. In December 2022, Martinez resigned, and in early January he was appointed head coach of the Portugal national team.

Stars besides Ronaldo
The tournament will be the final chord for Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portuguese national team. Will he be able to repeat the success of eight years ago? Yes, many do not believe in the 39-year-old forward. Like, age, performance in the Saudi Arabian Championship. «KriRo is not the same anymore.» But there is confidence that Cristiano will be able to answer the skeptics. After all, his role in the team is not only on the field.

The Portuguese squad is replete with big names. This includes Bruno Fernandes, who scored as many as 14 points (6 goals and 8 assists), and Rafael Leau, who is predicted to make a career leap after the Euro, and Joao Felix, who showed himself well in Barcelona.

< br>
Youth in great demand in England
Traditionally, such tournaments often help young football players to make themselves known and achieve career growth. If we talk about the Portuguese national team, there are many talented young people in its composition. For example, 19-year-old defensive midfielder Joao Neves is unlikely to stay at Benfica for long. According to rumors, Manchester United had already offered 60 million euros for him, which did not suit the club from Lisbon.

21-year-old Francisco Conceicao also has every chance of leaving Porto after the Euro. There is talk about Bayern's interest in the player. 20-year-old Antonio Silva, who is persistently sent from Benfica to top clubs, including PSG, Bayern, Liverpool and Manchester United, will also have a chance to show himself.

< br>

Best balance sheet in history?
Roberto Martinez has a very balanced lineup. As Jose Mourinho emphasized in an interview, in terms of depth and quality, this team is the best in history. There is no noticeable weakness in any of Portugal's lines. With the arrival of Martinez, the team noticeably perked up and began to play more attackingly. And if you look at the foreign press, the main problem of the Portuguese is often called… the same Cristiano Ronaldo. Experts note that at the Euro it can act both to the benefit and to the detriment of the atmosphere within the team.

Should be in the semi-finals
The rivals of the Portuguese national team in Group F were the Georgian teams , Turkey and the Czech Republic. Analyzing the above, the forecast for the Portuguese is as follows: this should be an exit from the group in first place. At the moment, Martinez's team is objectively the favorite of its quartet. Of course, surprises do happen at tournaments of this level, but given the current situation, it’s most likely not worth expecting them.

As for the play- off, then it’s more difficult to make predictions here. Much depends on chance. But getting into the top four should be the minimum goal for the Portuguese national team in 2024.

Schedule of games for the Portuguese national team at the European Championship:

1st round. June 18, 22:00 Moscow time. Portugal – Czech Republic;

2nd round. June 22, 19:00 Moscow time. Türkiye – Portugal;

3rd round. June 26, 22:00 Moscow time. Georgia – Portugal.

ОСТАВЬТЕ ОТВЕТ

Пожалуйста, введите ваш комментарий!
пожалуйста, введите ваше имя здесь

Последнее в категории