Deep and Dynamic

Portugal boasts one of the deepest squads in Euro 2024, with at least two starting-caliber players in every position. They can be stiff at times, but Roberto Martinez’s possession play puts the emphasis on their intelligence.

Written by Kyle Boas.

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After their shocking defeat to Morocco in the World Cup semi-finals and some disappointing tactical and personnel decisions, Fernando Santos stepped down as head coach, a position he held for eight years. Spaniard Roberto Martinez took over in January 2023 after his six-year tenure with Belgium ended. This appointment was somewhat controversial due to Belgium’s underwhelming performance in the World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Like Belgium, Portugal is brimming with exciting talent. The difference is that Portugal’s squad carries more experience and has a stronger defensive core. Their floor is higher, which benefits Martinez as he is not a coach who elevates the floor. He needs the baseline to be high to allow the creatives to roam and ceiling raisers to take on their man so that they can break out of his rigid build-up. 

The Spine and Defense

The team’s spine consists of 24-year-old goalkeeper Diogo Costa from FC Porto, 27-year-old center-back Rúben Dias from Manchester City, and 28-year-old defensive midfielder João Palhinha from Fulham.

Diogo Costa has been linked with several top European clubs, and João Palhinha is likely to move to either Manchester United or Bayern Munich this summer. Rúben Dias has led Manchester City’s defense, winning multiple cups, Premier Leagues, and a Champions League since signing in 2020. The rest of the lineup is interchangeable.

Gonçalo Inácio is likely to start as the center-back to the left of Rúben Dias. The legendary Pepe, António Silva, and Danilo Pereira will provide backup. They typically form a back-four but can switch to a back-three if needed due to the depth of quality at center-back.

The full-back positions feature Nuno Mendes, Diogo Dalot, João Cancelo, and Nélson Semedo. Nuno Mendes appears to be the first choice on the left, with Diogo Dalot on the right. João Cancelo can play on either side and might start ahead of Nuno Mendes on the left. Diogo Dalot seems to have secured the right-back spot. Nélson Semedo, despite his lower profile, has impressed in recent friendlies and for Wolves this season in the Premier League.

Their defense combines agility, pace, passing ability, crossing, close control, and physicality. Diogo Costa is an excellent distributor of the ball. These specific player qualities give them a very solid base in defense. 

Portugal’s high-press to win back the ball.

Portugal will apply pressure in the middle third, with Bernardo Silva and Vitinha leading the press. They will curve their runs to force the center-backs to play through the middle, then collapse on the opponent’s holding midfielders once the ball is played forward. Palhinha will patrol the space behind their first and second lines alone. Center-backs like Rúben Dias are allowed to follow forwards when they drop back, adding to their aggressive defense. Upon regaining possession, they will quickly counter through the half-spaces.

The Magicians

Intelligence in the midfield is crucial to this team’s success, in particular. Bruno Fernandes is the creative rock, with Bernardo Silva and Vitinha as the main progressors around Fernandes and Palhinha.

Portugal’s in-possession shape during their build-up.

Diogo Dalot should push up the right wing from right-back, allowing Bernardo Silva to invert into midfield. This is why Nuno Mendes might be preferred at left-back, as he is more comfortable than João Cancelo in sitting back to help form a back-three with the center-backs.

The wingers can dribble at the defense but will often play to the middle before spreading the ball wide to open central spaces. The magicians, Bernardo Silva and Vitinha, have the freedom to roam, using their intelligence to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses.

If a runner is needed in midfield, Matheus Nunes can be brought on. For a more aggressive option, João Neves is a highly sought-after pitbull. If an extra defensive midfielder is needed, Rúben Neves is equally capable.

The Final Third

Portugal’s attack will entertain from the wings. For control, they have Bernardo Silva and João Félix. For pace and a quick one-on-one threat, they have Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, and Francisco Conceição. The choice on who starts will depend on the opponent and player fatigue, making freshness and rotation vital.

Choosing between Gonçalo Ramos, Diogo Jota, and Cristiano Ronaldo will be challenging. Each offers a unique profile. Diogo Jota might start due to his recent form, having scored in his last two appearances. He complements Bernardo Silva well, dropping back and rotating out wide to bring dynamism to the attack. Cristiano Ronaldo could serve as a super-sub in clutch moments, while Gonçalo Ramos is a well-rounded more one-dimensional number nine focused solely on scoring goals.

Takeaways

Portugal’s depth in all positions allows them to stay fresh throughout the tournament without sacrificing quality. Their midfield combines intelligence and technical ability, with Bruno Fernandes as the creator and João Palhinha as the ball-winner, enabling them to control possession in most matches. Their forward versatility offers a balance between runners and controllers. Their defense in general should be solid and they have a world-class goalkeeper who is a good distributor of the ball.

They can be predictable and stiff at times, especially when needing to take the game to the opponent. They rely on vertical passes from the middle to the wings to create central spaces during final third transitions. Nuno Mendes and João Cancelo can sometimes lack positional awareness, leaving the left side vulnerable, especially in settled play.

Keep an eye on 21-year-old right-winger Francisco Conceição from Porto. If given the chance, he could have a breakout tournament. He is an energetic, quick winger who likes to cut in on his left foot.

Portugal had an easy draw in Euro qualifying, winning all their group stage matches. Roberto Martinez went unbeaten in his first fourteen matches, with their first two defeats this month against Slovenia and Croatia. Expectations are high, and it would be surprising if they did not top their group ahead of Turkey, Czechia, and Georgia. If they can build up momentum and confidence in the group stages they have the ability to advance far in the tournament.

We decided to make all of our EURO 2024 articles free to read. If you want to support our work, consider taking a subscription.