HERZOGENAURACH (Germany): Germany would likely aim to close Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday together with all the hosts under pressure to conquer holders Portugal so as to receive their own Euro 2020 effort back on course.
After dropping their opening match 1-0 to France on Tuesday following a Mats Hummels particular target, Germany seriously need a win Group F – and also to prevent Ronaldo adding into his incredible goal tally.
The Portuguese celebrity has netted a record 11 targets in five European Championship finals after scoring two in Portugal’s 3-0 win over Hungary at Budapest.
Together with 106 targets in 176 matches for Portugal, he’s just three short of this all-time global record, according to Ali Daei who scored 109 goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006.
The Juventus forward hasn’t played Germany in four previous efforts, the latest when Portugal were hauled aside 4-0 in the 2014 World Cup.
The Germans expect to deny him at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
“I really don’t see movies of their’best-of’ clips,” centre-back Matthias Ginter, that is tasked with containing Ronaldo, joked on Thursday in Germany’s foundation in Bavaria.
“I have played him once or twice with Dortmund.
“He is still among the greatest strikers in the world and has scored just two goals, which means you’ve got to be cautious, but we are excited about playing against him” Even the Germans know all too well that Ronaldo is only one threat from the Portugal team.
Eintracht Frankfurt striker Andre Silva scored 28 goals in the Bundesliga last year and can be a part of a group wealthy in attacking solutions.
“It might be an error to concentrate entirely on Cristiano Ronaldo,” additional Ginter, together with Portugal’s Premier League trio of Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota along with Bernardo Silva all also able to winning matches by themselves.
Ginter states Germany are ready to increase the pace and assault Portugal, within an investigation of the last game revealed the French”abandoned us distances, which we occasionally were too slow” to exploit.
Joachim Loew’s negative are convinced of turning things round.
“We’ve got a terrific team and a great deal of caliber,” said Ginter.
“It was not our worst match from France, but we could do much more – and that is the great thing.
We all believe we could win Saturday.”