Roberto Martinez: Our resilience will be crucial for the upcoming matches
2025-09-11 04:54
Portugal came from behind to defeat Hungary 3-2 in their crucial second match of Group F of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers, thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Joao Cancelo. Roberto Martínez stated that his team had found a good solution to Hungary's counterattacks and believed that their resilience would be crucial for the upcoming challenges.
In the 21st minute, Zolt Nagy made a lob pass into the penalty area, and Barnabas Varga headed the ball in, helping Hungary take a 1-0 lead. In the 36th minute, Cancelo made a cross, and Bernardo Silva stopped the ball, turned around and shot the ball into the goal, helping Portugal equalize the score at 1-1.
In the 55th minute of the second half, Ronaldo's volley struck Loic Nego's hand, earning Portugal a penalty kick. Ronaldo converted the penalty kick, putting Portugal ahead 2-1. In the 84th minute, Barnabas Varga scored with a header, tying the score at 2-2 for Hungary.
In the 86th minute, Bernardo Silva assisted Cancelo to score from a long shot. In the end, Portugal defeated Hungary 3-2 away.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said, "Every game is different, but we found important solutions. Hungary's counterattack was very threatening, but our overall defense was good and we controlled the game. This was a perfect game that allows us to improve and adjust. Overall, the team showed great concentration, and the players who came on the bench also played a key role."
"We showed great character. When we conceded a goal against Germany in the Nations League, we changed our mentality. We learned to withstand the pressure and believe we can do it. This happened against Spain as well, and our resilience will be very important for the next games."
In addition, Bernardo Silva, who plays for Manchester City, said in an interview, "Hungary's style of play was not surprising at all. We had expected this to be a difficult game. They have always had a very enthusiastic atmosphere at home and will do their best to suppress us and make the game difficult. We are very happy to get 3 points. This is an important step for us to qualify for the World Cup. This is our main goal."
"It's never easy when we're trailing, but we showed a strong attitude. Just like in June against Germany and Spain, we were also behind but we were able to come back. We did it again in this game against a tough team. Even though they equalized in the 80th minute, we were still able to score the winning goal."
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