By Nick Said
FRANKFURT, Germany, June 30 (Reuters) – Portugal‘s players have shown an excellent response to the disappointment of defeat by Georgia in their final group game and are ready to take on a solid Slovenia side who have one of the best defences at Euro 2024, said coach Roberto Martinez.
Portugal rotated their team in the 2-0 loss to Georgia on Wednesday so all 23 of their outfield players have had game time heading into the round of 16 clash with Slovenia in Frankfurt on Monday and Martinez said there will be no negative hangover.
“Tomorrow is a different kettle of fish. It is do-or-die,” he told reporters on Sunday. “We know Slovenia very well, all the teams at these Euros have a lot of personality. They all believe they can win games.
“So the matches hinge on small details, and that applies to Slovenia. They are very well organised and competitive, they believe in what they are doing and we will need to be at our best.”
Slovenia beat Portugal 2-0 in a friendly in March and Martinez said he has a healthy respect for coach Matjaz Kek.
“This game is different, it is not a friendly, it is a historic moment for Slovenian football, the first time they have progressed to the last 16 at the Euros,” Martinez said.
“We admire what their coach is doing, their national team plays like a club side, they are very strong defensively, they help each other, they know how to play off the ball.
“They play on the break and kept a clean sheet against England. Against Serbia they conceded from a corner in the last minute. They don’t often concede from open play.
“What they have done in these Euros is remarkable, they have made history and it is a shame we have to play them because I have a real soft spot for Slovenia.”
Martinez emphasised it will be a game where his sometimes combustible Portugal team will need to keep their cool.
“We need to show our potential and showcase our quality. We need to have a lot of patience and cannot let emotions get the better of us.
“They (Slovenia) don’t need a lot of possession to be dangerous and are quick to shoot. If they score it will be that much harder for us.” (Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Ken Ferris)