Portugal fans on X are fearing the worst after Roberto Martinez included Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate Bernardo Silva in the starting XI to face Spain. The two sides are set to lock horns in the UEFA Nations League final at the Allianz Arena later tonight (Sunday, June 8).
Diogo Costa starts in goal for Portugal. Joao Neves, Ruben Dias, Goncalo Inacio, and Nuno Mendes make up the defense. The midfield comprises of Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, and Bruno Fernandes. Pedro Neto, Francisco Conceicao, and Cristiano Ronaldo start up front to complete the starting XI.
Bernardo Silva struggled to impress for Manchester City this season, scoring five goals and providing four assists in 49 appearances across all competitions. The 30-year-old also started for A Selecao during their 2-1 win over Germany in the Nations League semi-finals, but was unable to make an impact going forward.
One fan posted:
Another fan tweeted:
Other fans reacted below:
Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo has called out Roberto Martinez’s critics for showing a lack of respect ahead of their Nations League final fixture against Spain. The 40-year-old also reckons Martinez has done an excellent job to date in terms of results and passion off the pitch.
Roberto Martinez replaced Fernando Santos as Portugal’s head coach following A Selecao’s disappointing 2022 FIFA World Cup exit. Despite leading his team to the Nations League final, many fans have criticized the Spaniard after they failed to advance past the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo said (via GOAL):
He added:
Martinez has led Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal for a total of 29 games across all competitions, winning 21, drawing four, and losing four.
Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.
Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.
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