The Portuguese head coach, Paulo Bento, gives his take on the tactics that his side will adopt against the Germans.
The teams go head to head in the opening fixture of Group B. The group which is dubbed as the ‘Group of Death’ includes Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Denmark. The former Sporting Lisbon manager joins the mind games, ahead
of the mouth watering encounter.
The Seleccao go into this match on the back of a three match win-less streak, which includes a recent 3-1 thrashing at the hands of Turkey. The Portuguese tactician knows the importance of a win against Joachim Low’s men. He also
highlights the importance of being organized defensively, unlike in the match against Turkey, where they dominated the game and conceded three goals through some comical defending.
The head coach also stresses on the importance of being organized offensively. In a game of this stature it is important to use the ball intelligently as possession is usually scarce.
"We must attack, but in an organised way. Above all we have to be strong, aggressive and cohesive, especially when we lose the ball," the Portuguese head coach is quoted to have said in an interview.
Paulo knows that his side can only beat Germany if they are organized both attack and defence. He knows Die Mannschaft have players who are capable of tearing defences apart with the simplest of passes.
If the Portuguese play to contain the German attack by parking the bus, then they would be in for a pasting, and their coach is of the same view. Sitting back in their own half would only pile more pressure on the Seleccao defenders
and would drag back some of their attacking players in search of the ball.
"We must be organised to defeat Germany, we will also need courage, but if we only think about defending we will surely not get a good result” he added.
This tie will prove to be a treat for the neutrals. Both sides go into the match on the back of a few below par performances.
They will try to set the record straight, and a win for either of them will restore their confidence and will put fear in the hearts of Bert van Marwijk’s men who will be closely monitoring this high stakes clash.
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