Upbeat Portugal ready to renew acquaintances with old Irish friends and foes

Among one of several low points for Manchester United this season, Bruno Fernandes saw his spot-kick saved by Caoimhín Kelleher during Brentford’s 3-1 victory while Cristiano Ronaldo will also recall his effort from 12 yards being saved by Gavin Bazunu in Faro four years ago.

Hence a question to Fernandes when he faced the media in Lisbon about whether this qualifier is a chance to settle the score from a crucial moment in defeat to The Bees last month.

“Every day is a good day to settle scores,” the United man said. “He did well, I did poorly. But he doesn’t mess with my head. My goal is to win the game, not to score. There’s something bigger than individuality. Winning is the most important thing.

“Because my aim on Saturday, if I’m not chosen to play for the U17s, is not to score goals, but to win the game,” he joked.

“Because here there is something greater than individuality in a football game and in a football team. That is what represents our group. And I think that winning and being closer to the World Cup is much more important to me than adjusting accounts with the goalkeeper of Ireland.”

Asked for his thoughts on Ireland, Fernandes poured out the usual clichés about them being hard-working, hard to beat and winning their duels which, if they were as accurate as they are common, would mean results should have been better in recent years. The 2-1 reverse in Yerevan, against a team Portugal hammered 5-0, certainly comes to mind.

“Obviously, the result they got is not the most important thing for today or tomorrow,” said the 31-year-old. “Because it’s a completely different game, against a different team that they will face.

Redemption or a hiding to nothing - Ireland prepare to face Portugal in Lisbon

“We know the dangers they can cause. We know that Ireland is a very intense team, very strong in the second balls, that play football very directly, blocking balls is also one of their strongest points.

“Knowing all this we have to try to nullify all those, which are the strongest aspects of Ireland. Our goal is to keep the ball, be patient, know how to find the right spaces and movements. Because we know that defensively they are very organised

“They are a team with a very strong physical power. We have to do our best to find the goals.

“We know that set-pieces are a big part of their game and we are very aware of the qualities of their players and obviously we need to give them no space and at the same time we need to play our game and try to command the game.”

When it was his turn to face the media, manager Roberto Martinez appeared relaxed, as befits a man whose side are chasing down Portugal’s all-time record for winning games at the start of a World Cup campaign. But this is a country where politics is centre stage – and not just because there’s a general election this week – and the shadow of Benfica, Sporting and Porto looms over every matter.

Martinez was hit with a few questions about the poison and in-fighting in the Portuguese game, while he has also been criticised for not calling up enough home-based players. Martinez, however, was on more solid ground when he was asked to speak about Seamus Coleman, his former player at Everton and now back in the Irish squad after a spell out in the cold.

“How long have you got? I think with Seamus, we could speak for hours,” he said when asked about the Donegal man.

“I think it was in that season, 2013, in my opinion, he was the best right back in the Premier League by a mile, somebody who has got this incredible capacity to arrive in the final third, to defend one-on-one situations, enormous capacity. And that leadership, it made him captain material from the first day.

“I love him. I loved working with him. He was really demanding, somebody that you can see his evolution during the season. I have been very proud of seeing his career. To see him still at Everton, still seen as an important part of our club in the Premier League and now still being in the national camp. I am really looking forward to seeing him.”

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