Praise for the national team from Portuguese star Rafael Leao: 'Turkey is very strong'

Speaking at a press conference held at theBVB Dortmund Stadium ahead of tomorrow evening's Turkey-Portugalmatch atEURO 2024, Portuguese forward Rafael Leao said,"It will be a tough battle tomorrow. Our opponent is very strong and is a team made up of very good players. They have high-quality players. Their organization on the pitch is very good, and they use the spaces very well. We have analyzed our opponent very well. We know exactly what we are going to do tomorrow.

We also have quality players in defense and attack. I think it will be a very enjoyable match when Turkey's strong play in those spaces meets our quality game. We want to achieve a result by exploiting the spaces, but we must not forget that this is our second match in the group." he stated.

"We might find much more open space compared to the Czech Republic match. I think it will be a much more suitable match for us to reflect our style of play on the pitch," Leao said, adding, "The Czech Republic match was very difficult. We had more possession in the second half and reduced our turnovers. The opponent fought incredibly hard. Will I start tomorrow?

I don't know. We have incredible players. I want to help my team. However, I want to fight on the pitch. Sitting on the sidelines is not a player's preference. I believe I will put up a good fight if I start. I am proud to be part of a team consisting of such important players as the Portuguese National Team." he remarked.

HAKAN AND BARIŞ WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

When asked, "You said you analyzed Turkey very well. Who were the names that caught your attention the most?" Leao replied,"I definitely think Hakan Çalhanoğlu will make a difference. We played together at Milan. He is an incredibly good player. He is very effective not only in the back but also in the attacking line. I know him very well. Barış Alper Yılmaz is also an incredibly fast player. I think these two players will make a difference." he answered.

PRAISE FOR TURKISH FANS

Responding to a question about Turkish fans, the Portuguese footballer commented, "It will be a very difficult match. We know the Turkish people very well. We know their love for their team and that many Turkish citizens live in Germany. However, we will always feel the support of the Portuguese fans behind us. I think there will be a lot of pressure tomorrow. We are mentally prepared for this. We have experience from the Czech Republic match." he assessed.

News Source: AA