Striker Rafael Lean said on Tuesday that Portugal still need a win to guarantee a place in the final stage of Euro 2024 football and recalled that Slovakia created “a lot of difficulties” in the first leg in Bratislava.
“There is one more game left before qualifying and against a good team that gave us a lot of difficulties the last time we faced each other. We can’t think about the European Championships yet. If we win on Friday, then yes, we can start thinking about it. At the moment we are only focused on the game against Slovakia,” said Rafael Lean, recalling the narrow 1-0 victory achieved in Bratislava in September.
The Milan player spoke to reporters at a press conference at the Cidade do Futebol, in Oeiras, a few minutes before the national team’s next training session.
“This qualifying stage was not as easy as it might seem. We understand well what the coach wants, his idea of the game, and we are happy with it. This was an important factor,” he said. The 24-year-old striker is.
Should Portugal secure their qualification at the Stadio Dragao, the venue where they made their Portuguese First League debut while playing for Sporting, Lean ensured that the Portuguese players would carry out the remaining games in Group J with the same “determination”. .
“We are Portugal and, regardless of the opponent, we always play to win. If we achieve qualification, which is an important goal, we will have the same dedication and determination. This is a victory,” said Lean, who has 21 caps and three goals for the national team.
Portugal will face Slovakia on Friday at the Dragao Stadium in Porto at 19:45 and, in case of victory, automatically guarantees passage to the final phase of the next European Championship. Three days later, on the 16th, the national team plays in Bosnia and Herzegovina at 19:45 (Lisbon time).
After six rounds, Portugal retain their overall victory and top Group J with 18 points, five more than second-place Slovakia. Luxembourg is third with 10 points, followed by Bosnia and Iceland (both with six) and Liechtenstein, still without points.
In addition to six victories in the same number of matches, Roberto Martinez’s team has a record of 24 goals scored and not a single one conceded.
In November, Portugal will close out the qualifying round with a trip to Liechtenstein and an invitation to Iceland.
The first two places in the group give direct access to the final phase of Euro 2024.