The Portuguese coach praised Ronaldo's team spirit.

Roberto Martinez believes Cristiano Ronaldo played a crucial role in the 3-0 victory against Bosnia, even though he didn't score.

"It's easy to say he's no longer at the peak of his form. But the truth is Ronaldo has shown he's always ready to give for the national team. He's a special player with 199 caps. He's incredibly important in the dressing room. He has a fantastic attitude, even without the ball, always active, following the team's plan. I'm very pleased. The pass Ronaldo made to Diogo Jota is proof of his team spirit," Martinez said in the post-match press conference.

Martinez believes Ronaldo remains an important player for Portugal. Photo: Imago — Martinez believes Ronaldo remains an important player for Portugal. Photo: *Imago*

Ronaldo started as a central striker in Portugal's 3-4-3 formation against Bosnia in Group J of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. He put the ball into the net in the 23rd minute, but it was disallowed for offside. In the 88th minute, Ronaldo faced the goalkeeper but instead of shooting, he passed the ball across to Jota. However, the Liverpool striker was unable to beat goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic.

In this match, Portugal won 3-0 thanks to a brace from Bruno Fernandes and the opening goal from Bernardo Silva. This result helped them maintain their top spot in the group after three consecutive wins, scoring 13 goals and conceding none. In their two previous matches, Martinez's team thrashed Luxembourg 6-0 and Liechtenstein 4-0.

"The players were in good physical condition but not overly enthusiastic, which is common in June. This was a tough match against a strong opponent, who played directly and had talented players like Pjanic and Dzeko. We knew Bosnia had a quality squad, so we understood that unity was key to victory. The whole team worked hard to move when we didn't have the ball. We need matches like this to improve," Martinez assessed.

The Belgian strategist praised goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who made an excellent save late in the match. He assessed Portugal as having the edge over their opponents due to their diverse squad, which allowed them to adapt and prepare better for the game. However, Martinez noted that Portugal still lost possession in dangerous areas and needed to find more ways to develop their attack to deal with opponents who are good defenders.

The match took place at Benfica's home stadium, Estadio da Luz. During the game, some fans booed and whistled in protest against Porto midfielder Otavio. Martinez called on Portuguese fans to put aside their rivalries between clubs and support the national team. "It's sad to see a player not have the fans' support. Club rivalry is good for Portuguese football. But when the national team takes to the field, that player doesn't belong to any club; he's a national team player," he said.

Vinh San (according to Desporto )

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