Martinez optimistic of Portugal’s World Cup chances

Portugal secured a 2-1 victory against Nigeria in their final pre-World Cup friendly, though Roberto Martinez admitted his side were not entirely convincing in the performance.

The match, played at Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa, saw Portugal take the lead through Pedro Neto before Nigeria’s Akor Adams equalized. 

Francisco Conceicao later scored the winner for the hosts. Despite the win, Martinez’s team created only 1.63 expected goals (xG) from 13 shots, while restricting the Super Eagles to a mere 0.33 xG from five attempts.

This result marked the third consecutive warm-up victory for Portugal in which they scored exactly two goals. 

Martinez expressed satisfaction with the outcome, viewing it as valuable preparation for their World Cup opener against DR Congo on June 17.

The Portuguese coach stated that Nigeria represented an ideal test because of their similarities to DR Congo. 

He noted that both teams possessed strong attackers who excelled in physical duels. Martinez emphasized that securing a win was important, but clarified that the primary objective had not been an overwhelming scoreline or a flawless display.

He explained that the idea was never to win 5-0 or deliver a brilliant performance. Instead, the focus had been on facing a difficult opponent in order to test key aspects of their game ahead of the tournament. 

Martinez added that he was very satisfied with how the match had unfolded and what it revealed about his squad’s readiness.

The result leaves Portugal in positive spirits heading into the World Cup, with the coach confident that the challenging friendly provided exactly the kind of examination needed. 

While the performance had room for improvement, the victory and the lessons learned from a competitive Nigerian side have reinforced belief within the camp as they prepare to open their campaign against DR Congo