Portugal have been tipped to rock robbery victims Luxembourg in Wednesday night’s friendly as Bento’s men prepare for upcoming Euro 2012 qualifying matches.
Group H leaders Portugal are in a good position ahead of September’s qualifier against Cyrus whereas Luxembourg are virtually out of Poland-Ukraine. All the same, the small football nation are happy to play for pride and keep learning as they slowly develop.
However, it is going to be even more difficult for Luxembourg to pull out any sort of upset against Portugal come Wednesday, following the robbery attack they reportedly suffered in Almancil.
The Luxembourgian staff and squad were victims of the crime which had them lose cell phones, cash and laptops. Ahead of the Portugal vs Luxembourg friendly, coach Luc Holtz was quoted as saying by reporters in a worried mood:
“This is very hard, because of the focus for the match, it is not easy for the players who were affected and that was noticeable in Monday's training. It is hard to be focused on the pitch.”
But looking at the football calendar, the Luxembourg friendly might rather be an opportunity for coach Paulo Bento to try out different tactics and especially different players. With the English Premier League kicking off this weekend, 2011 FA Community Shield hero Nani is not expected to work too hard, for example.
Likewise, Cristiano Ronaldo may not be involved too much in the game. This is because of the balance between the importance of the Portugal vs Luxembourg friendly compared to this weekend’s Supercopa de España first leg match between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Portuguese forward might however want to reassure supporters of the Portuguese national team with a fine performance and at least a goal should he feature for at least a few minutes on the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in quite good shape for Real Madrid this summer. Portugal certainly need the captain’s full commitment at every occasion as the team keeps growing under the guidance of Carlos Queiroz’s successor, Paulo Bento.
Portugal’s squad for the friendly:
Goalkeepers: Eduardo, Rui Patricio, Quim
Defenders: Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao, Joao Pereira, Pepe, Ricardo
Carvalho, Silvio
Midfielders: Castro, Andre Santos, Joao Moutinho, Raul Meireles, Ruben Micael
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Danny, Hugo Almeida, Helder Postiga, Nani, Nuno Gomes, Varela
However, it is going to be even more difficult for Luxembourg to pull out any sort of upset against Portugal come Wednesday, following the robbery attack they reportedly suffered in Almancil.
The Luxembourgian staff and squad were victims of the crime which had them lose cell phones, cash and laptops. Ahead of the Portugal vs Luxembourg friendly, coach Luc Holtz was quoted as saying by reporters in a worried mood:
“This is very hard, because of the focus for the match, it is not easy for the players who were affected and that was noticeable in Monday's training. It is hard to be focused on the pitch.”
But looking at the football calendar, the Luxembourg friendly might rather be an opportunity for coach Paulo Bento to try out different tactics and especially different players. With the English Premier League kicking off this weekend, 2011 FA Community Shield hero Nani is not expected to work too hard, for example.
Likewise, Cristiano Ronaldo may not be involved too much in the game. This is because of the balance between the importance of the Portugal vs Luxembourg friendly compared to this weekend’s Supercopa de España first leg match between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Portuguese forward might however want to reassure supporters of the Portuguese national team with a fine performance and at least a goal should he feature for at least a few minutes on the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in quite good shape for Real Madrid this summer. Portugal certainly need the captain’s full commitment at every occasion as the team keeps growing under the guidance of Carlos Queiroz’s successor, Paulo Bento.
Portugal’s squad for the friendly:
Goalkeepers: Eduardo, Rui Patricio, Quim
Defenders: Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao, Joao Pereira, Pepe, Ricardo
Carvalho, Silvio
Midfielders: Castro, Andre Santos, Joao Moutinho, Raul Meireles, Ruben Micael
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Danny, Hugo Almeida, Helder Postiga, Nani, Nuno Gomes, Varela
