Martinez views Nigeria as the perfect preparation for their tournament opener, citing similarities between the Super Eagles and their first World Cup opponents. The coach emphasised that while the individual talent in the Portugal squad is immense, the focus remains on the collective structure and a high-pressing style that has been ingrained in the national setup for over a decade.
“We have an opportunity to work on aspects that are similar to what we’ll face against Congo,” he said. “It’s a group of very talented players. We have the structure and discipline to win every game. The statistics speak for themselves: goals, victories… Total commitment to pressing high up the pitch and defending quickly – that’s the style, the result of 15 years of work in Portuguese youth football. As for tactics, I already said on the first day. The idea is to have tactical flexibility to adapt individual talent within the team’s structure.”
