Portugal’s players during a team training session at Al Shahania SC yesterday.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has said the 2016 European champions must be aggressive and show their quality when they come up against a talented Uruguay team at the Lusail Stadium tonight. Portugal will also be without midfielder Danilo Pereira after the PSG man suffered a mysterious rib injury, while Otavio will be monitored and accessed for fitness.
“They (Uruguay) continue to have players with high quality. This is a huge team with new players, but there were good players in 2018 and now. I don’t think the team has changed that much, but obviously, there are new characters,” Santos said, comparing the 2018 side which knocked Portugal out of the World Cup.
The Europeans held off a late scare to seal a nervy 3-2 win over Ghana in their opening Group H match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Portugal were 3-1 up with minutes to go but conceded late in the game, and goalkeeper Diogo Costa almost gifted Inaki Williams an equalising goal in additional time.
“We played well against Ghana in the first half because they couldn’t enter our penalty area. But during the last 30 minutes, we should have been more aggressive because I know my players. Perhaps we were overconfident. We need to have a sound structure and allow our players to move freely, and they are capable of doing so,” added Santos.
Santos said Portugal play as a collective, drawing from each individual and have leaders in the team who can step up should they be needed. The 68-year-old may have to call on veteran defender Pepe with Danilo ruled out.
“We try to motivate our team, and some players are more visible than others. Each player expresses themselves differently, but the most important thing is that we play as a group, independently of each players’ personality.
“Pepe is a monster, that’s my answer to that. He has a huge role to play for us. For Danilo’s injury, we do not understand how that could have happened; we didn’t see how it happened exactly. Initially, we didn’t think it was serious because we did a few exams to see if he was breathing properly, but afterwards, we saw it’s more serious. As far as I know, he is evolving positively, and we expect to have him soon.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Bernardo Silva has singled out Fede Valverde and Darwin Nunez as major threats to Portugal. The Uruguayans managed a goalless draw against South Korea in their opener, and Silva believes Valverde is one of the “best midfielders in the world” who can make a difference for the South Americans.
“Valverde is one of the best midfielders in the world because he is strong, physical and a leader. Both he and Nunez, as well as many other players are very dangerous opponents and players who are in good shape. The best way to hold them is to have possession of the ball. We need to keep them on a tight leash because these players can cause damage,” Silva said.
Uruguay players during a training session.
Uruguay looking for repeat
Like Portugal, whose ageing players are in their twilight, Uruguay is blending the old and the new. Cristiano Ronaldo comes up against a familiar defence which includes Diego Godin – a player he duelled with while playing for Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid. On the other side, long-time rival Luis Suarez and former teammate at Manchester United Edinson Cavani are also gradually being phased out, with younger talents Nunez and Facundo Pellistri ready to shine.
Uruguay coach Diego Alonso has stated his side are targeting a repeat of 2018 and must bring their A game against a dangerous Portugal.
“Portugal have a very good squad. They have excellent players and a wonderful coach with wide experience,” Alonso said.
“But about what happened four years ago, it’s a different match, we have different players, and it will be a completely different match. That makes them a dangerous team. On the other hand, we also have our own weapons. We will try to win; we will bring our A game.”
Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur stressed that Uruguay must play better than their performance against South Korea in what is a crucial game for them.
“We analysed the game, and we know it wasn’t good enough, we weren’t pressing enough. We need to change our play because we were a bit slow,” Betancur said.
“We know it is a crucial game tomorrow. They (Portugal) play very well with the ball, they play the spaces, they beat the back line of the defence, but we’ve been working on that, and we will try to use our own weapons.”
When: Today at 7pm
Where: Lusail Stadium
Capacity: 88,966
Key stats:
- Portugal made their World Cup debut in England in 1966, knocking out champions Brazil, reaching the semi-finals and finishing in third place - their best result so far.
- Portugal's veteran striker Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading scorer in the history of men's international football, with 118 goals for his nation.
- Portugal began their Group H campaign with a thrilling 3-2 win over Ghana where Ronaldo became the first player to score in five World Cups.
- Double World Cup winners Uruguay won the inaugural tournament in their capital Montevideo in 1930 and lifted it again in 1950 by upsetting hosts Brazil.
- Uruguay finished third behind Brazil and Argentina in South America's qualifiers, veteran forward Luis Suarez top-scoring with eight goals.
- Uruguay drew 0-0 with South Korea in their opening Group H game.
Previous meetings:
Portugal and Uruguay have played each other three times, with one win each - including the South Americans' victory at the 2018 World Cup - and a draw.
