Young coach Luís Freire urges flexibility within Portugal's Under-21 team
As Portugal's U-21 national team prepares for their second qualification game, they find themselves in Scotland, aiming to build on their recent victory and make six points in two games. The team, led by Luis Freire, landed in Scotland on Sunday and trained at Fir Park Stadium in Motherwell.
In their first match under Freire's leadership, the team demonstrated a strong performance and established positive relationships, leaving the coach satisfied. However, the focus for the upcoming match is defensive recovery, as Scotland is expected to build up their attacks and exploit the opposing defense.
Scotland, eager not to miss the train of the teams that can qualify for the European Championship, may use either a '3-4-3' or a '3-5-2' formation, and press with two or three players up front. The team is coming off a 2-0 defeat against the Czech Republic in their previous match, adding an extra layer of motivation for Portugal.
Gustavo Sá, a 20-year-old player from Famalicão, was designated as captain for Portugal's U-21 national team. Sá, an offensive midfielder who is fighting to start for Portugal in the upcoming match, noted that being a captain demands responsibility, but it won't change his focus on helping the national team.
The referee for the match on Tuesday evening at 19:00 in Fir Park Stadium, Motherwell, is Slovak Michal Ocenáš. Portugal's U-21 national team is pursuing its 11th presence and fourth consecutive appearance in the European Championship. A win in this match would bring them one step closer to their goal.
Portugal, defeated finalist in 1994, 2015, and 2021, will visit Scotland with the aim of securing a spot in the final phase of the 2027 European Championship, co-hosted by Albania and Serbia. The winners of the nine groups and the best second-placed team qualify directly for this prestigious tournament.
The remaining eight second-placed teams will advance to the play-offs, adding another layer of competition to the qualification process. As the match approaches, both teams are eager to demonstrate their skills and secure a valuable victory.
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