Lisbon (AFP) – Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Spain face off on Tuesday in Braga (20:45) for a tantalizing double-stake Iberian duel: ticket to the “Final 4” of the League of Nations and a final test before the World -2022.
Before this matchday match, the Portuguese took the lead in Group B thanks to the great success in the Czech Republic (4-0), overtaking Spain, defeated at home by a surprising Switzerland (2-1).
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With two points ahead, Ronaldo and his teammates can therefore settle for a draw to see the “Final 4” next June, while Spain must absolutely win on Portuguese soil, where they had not imposed themselves since 2003. In the first leg, three months ago, the two teams left with a tie in Sevilla (1-1).
“I will tell my players that we will play as always, that we will not play any other way just because two outcomes are possible,” Portugal manager Fernando Santos told the conference. press conference of the match, Monday at the municipal stadium in Braga.
The match will oppose two natural candidates for the final victory, because if the Seleçao has already won this competition in 2019, during a first edition whose final phase was organized in Portugal, the Roja reached the final of the last edition (defeat 2-1 against France).
– “The best is yet to come” –
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But this Iberian derby also represents a perfect opportunity for two of the best nations in world football to compete two months before the World Cup in Qatar (20 November-18 December).
After a surprise setback in June against Switzerland (1-0), in the absence of five-time Ballon d’Or Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal have regained confidence against the Czechs.
To the point that Fernando Santos, crowned at Euro-2016 and in the League of Nations 2019, dreams of completing his record with a planetary coronation.
“I’m missing a title, the best is yet to come this year. I can’t be more concrete,” said Santos.
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Despite his new substitute status at Manchester United this season, Ronaldo has made a remarkable return to the national team.
But his performance did not really convince observers and the Portuguese press on Monday analyzed his “loss of influence” on the national team statistics.
The 37-year-old idol certainly signed an assist, but he also missed big chances and caused an unconverted penalty from the Czechs. Monday in training, he still had a cockade in his right eye following a blow to the nose.
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For its part, Spain is still undergoing reconstruction after the departure of the golden generation that had obtained an extraordinary triple Euro-World-Euro between 2008 and 2012.
After the setback against Switzerland, the first in 11 months, Luis Enrique acknowledged that Spain had “the most disordered first period” since taking over La Roja in 2018.
The trip to Portugal will test his generational renewal work, however marked by some encouraging results such as a semi-final of Euro 2021 or the final of the last League of Nations.
“We will approach as if they were the quarter-finals in Qatar, we have to play a match and we just have to win (…). A final is good, the motivation is there and I am sure we will be up to it,” he said. Luis Enrique at the press conference.
“We have precedents against Portugal, I think we played three good games, we couldn’t beat them, they couldn’t beat us either. They don’t need many chances to score, we will try to bring the game to our field, what it has control of the ball “, assured the 52-year-old coach.
