Portugal returns to action, this time to compete in the first leg of qualification for the 2025 World Cup. The opponent? Bosnia and Herzegovina. The last time the two teams faced each other dates back to January 12, 2020but at the EHF Euro 2020. Heroes of the Sea won by three goals difference (27-24) and continued their victorious path in the competition.
Now, the context is quite different. Some players, in relation to that call-up, remained. Interestingly, the batch of power plants has not changed (Miguel Martins It is Rui Silva), while three of the four wingers called up by the national coach are the same – Antonio Areia. Diogo Branquinho It is Pedro Portela. Just Leonel Fernandes enters this new batch compared to four years ago.
Speaking of changes. Francisco Costa, Martim Costa and Diogo Rêma are players off the deck for this first duel in Guimarães. João Gomes, Gonçalo Vieira It is Diogo Rêma were the substitutes and were already under the orders of Paulo Jorge Pereiranational selector who spoke of a «small disadvantage» for playing at home in the opening game.
However, there does not seem to be any reason for great alarm. One of the last matches in Guimarães was against France, in 2019. You Heroes of the Sea They put on their formalwear again and defeated the Gauls in one of the most important games in history. The opponent is now in the last place in Group E of EHF Euro 2024 and wants to turn things around by qualifying for the World Cup.
Paulo Jorge Pereira in direct speech
The date: «Of course we assume favoritism. If we don’t qualify for the play-offs, it’s a real failure, although failure is always on the way to success. You can’t always win. You won’t always get lost. Obviously, we are favorites. It’s important for them to feel like they can’t beat us. Sometimes the result may not exactly mirror what happens in the game. We have to make them feel like we are better. From then on, if everything goes normally, we will win, hoping for the biggest margin possible.»
PORTUGAL
A TIE
BSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
