Scotland have plenty of quality and Portugal are bracing themselves for a tricky test, head coach Roberto Martinez said on the eve of Sunday’s Nations League clash between the two sides.
Portugal won their Nations League opener against Croatia 2-1 on Thursday, while Steve Clarke’s Scotland slumped to a 3-2 defeat against Poland after giving away a last-gasp penalty.
But Martinez has no doubts over Scotland’s quality as they prepare to host them in their Nations League A Group 1 fixture in Lisbon.
“Our players know the intensity of British football. Scotland have that. A lot of intensity, fast attacks, experience. We know the difference, but Scotland are objective, vertical, but have the quality to keep the ball,” Martinez told reporters on Saturday.
“The last two games have shown that they want to win. They’ve lost their last few games after the 90th minute, they’re objective, they’ve got top-class players… They’re experienced and talented.
“It’s not just a British team, a physical team, but a team with lots of skills and the game will be very competitive. We’ve prepared for that.”
Portugal have suffered a blow with midfielder Vitinha leaving the squad after picking up an injury, but Martinez said they have options in place.
“We can use Bernardo (Silva) and Bruno (Fernandes). With our flexibility, we can change players depending on what we need from the game,” Martinez added.
“I can’t talk about the starting eleven today, it’s the second training session, we have to evaluate and the decision is based on the players’ form. To have a balanced team tomorrow.”
Martinez also heaped praise on captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal to help Portugal beat Croatia, saying reaching the 1,000-goal mark would not be something impossible for the 39-year-old forward.
“I don’t think scoring 900 goals is easy. It’s a historic achievement, incredible, an inspiration for football,” Martinez said.
“I don’t think anyone can say that Cristiano can’t do something. It’s incredible what he’s achieving, what he’s doing in football. For us, the goal is collective. That he helps the national team.”
