Portugal coach Fernando Santos stated he warned many instances that North Macedonia might shock Italy and he was proved proper once they received their World Cup qualifying playoff semi-final 1-0 in Palermo on Thursday.
North Macedonia will play the Portuguese in Porto on Tuesday after Portugal beat Turkey 3-1, with the winners advancing to this 12 months’s World Cup in Qatar.
“We need to show the same respect to North Macedonia that we would to Italy,” Santos advised a information convention.
“I told you before we could be playing them, those games are not a joke, it’s like a final and anything can happen. You have to face it with the focus and concentration that it deserves. A team that goes to Italy and beats the European champions doesn’t need introductions.”
Portugal survived a nervy finale to maneuver nearer to the World Cup, with Turkey’s Burak Yilmaz lacking a late penalty that might have compelled further time in a recreation they dominated in entrance of sold-out Dragao Stadium. Leading 2-0, Portugal let their opponents again into the match to the annoyance of their coach.”We cannot permit that to occur in a recreation we had beneath management, it is a warning for subsequent Tuesday,” Santos stated.
“Today’s recreation is over and we have now to concentrate on the following rival that may give us the sport of their lives for positive. We’ll want further focus enjoying at residence in entrance of our crowd. The motivation must be our predominant aim, going to the World Cup.”
After lacking out on automated qualification in November, Portugal would have anticipated to face Italy in a conflict of the 2 final two European champions.
“We can’t think it will be easy against North Macedonia,” Matheus Nunes advised reporters after scoring the third Portuguese aim towards Turkey.”Now we have now to relaxation and work for the sport plan. It’s a group that deserves all our respect. They went to Italy and received, you need to have high quality to perform that.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
