Portugal will face Slovenia in the Round of 16 of the European Championship. Ahead of the match, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez attended a press conference and emphasized that the entire team is prepared for the difficulties of the match and will focus on defending well before looking to seize victory.
Martinez gave full credit to Slovenia’s performance. After losing to Georgia, a team on paper with weaker strength in the group stage, he demanded his players not to underestimate the difficulty of the knockout stage. Martinez said: “I know how difficult it is for a national team coach to lead a team for over 100 matches. Slovenia is very cohesive, like a club team. They like to start matches without the ball, using quick and sharp counter-attacks to create threats, Sesko and Sporar are very strong. Once they score first, the match becomes extremely difficult. We need to learn from our match against Georgia. This is Slovenia’s first time reaching the Round of 16, they will be very determined.”
Martinez emphasized that defense is key to winning the match, saying: “What matters is what we do, not our opponents. If our intensity doesn’t match our opponents, if we don’t have the same desire to win, then it will be very difficult. We need to control the match, control our emotions, showcase our individual talents and enjoy the match, that’s our strength. This match requires us to be very patient, we can’t think about breaking through the opponent’s goal without getting a foothold. Remember, when I say ‘get a foothold’, I mean keeping a clean sheet.”
A journalist mentioned that Italy has been eliminated, England’s situation is also very difficult, and even Portugal had a shocking upset in the group stage. In response, Martinez said that each match is independent, and details determine the final outcome. Martinez said: “Every match is different, what we need to do is stay in good form. The course of the European Championship has proven that matches are decided on details, in this situation, what happened in other matches doesn’t really matter.”
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