Martinez wary of pace and flair of Portugal
Belgium have no specific plan to counter the threat of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo when the two sides meet in the European Championship last-16, according to coach Roberto Martinez.
He said Portugal posed multiple threats, but that Belgium were looking forward to the challenge in Seville tomorrow.
“Obviously we are going to have to defend really well, but when you create a plan against a specific player, you can get hurt by other players,” he said.
“Ronaldo is a player who seems to pick the right moment, that right pass and right place and you have to always be aware.
“Weknowheisoneof the best footballers in the world.
“But you also have to defend against the other 10 players. The way Portugal plays, they’ve got a lot of flair and a lot of pace behind. There are several Portugal players of a similar measure and we’ll need to be compact and really solid and defend as a team.
“You can see why this team has been successful, why they won the Euros and the Nations League.
“It’s because they have a incredible mentality and know how to play the big games.”
While Martinez praised Portugal, he insisted it was his own team’s time to go all the way in a major tournament.
“We are a side full of confidence, full of momentum,” he said, adding his squad was injury-free.
“We look forward now to seeing how we can improve and how much we can enjoy this occasion.
“At the end of the day, it is when we enjoy our football that we play our best.”