Mika Pinto: “Joao Mario told me how to play Portugal” – Euro 2024

Mika Pinto: “Joao Mario told me how to play Portugal” – Euro 2024



Luxembourg’s defense disproves the notion that the tactic used by Roberto Martinez is more defensive

Mika Pinto has synchronized with Joao Mario at the Academia de Alcochete. They grew up together as Sporting players and the Portugal international was now playing for Benfica, as the Luxembourg international spoke, ahead of the clash between the two teams, on Sunday. “Tell me how Portugal will play under Roberto Martínez. That’s why I wasn’t surprised by the performance against Liechtenstein. Some people think the new system will be more defensive, but I don’t think so. On the contrary: I think so. The Portuguese can now develop their attacking capabilities better because the qualities of the wingers Guerreiro, Cancelo and Nuno Mendes enter the game better.It is more dangerous than the traditional 4x3x3 system, as he confirmed in statements reported by the newspaper “Tageblatt”.The 29-year-old defender guarantees that his relationship with Portugal has faded, after the Portuguese national team fought him until selection Under 20. The Sparta de Rotterdam player who made his debut for Luxembourg in 2020 posited: “Actually, it’s almost like any other game. I feel like a Luxembourgner and I no longer have relatives in Portugal.”

Mika Bento is now expecting a bad day from Portugal in qualifying for Euro 2024. “We have to believe in ourselves. We have a good team, we play in front of our fans, and every now and then even the top teams have a bad day,” he repeated.

Written by Flavio Miguel Silva

By Melody Gross

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