Portugal bank on Ronaldo against Germany

June 16, 2014

 

 

All eyes are likely to be on Cristiano Ronaldo when Portugal open their FIFA World Cup campaign against Germany in Salvador on Monday, Sportal.com.au writes.

Question marks over the fitness of the FIFA Ballon d’Or holder have dominated Portugal’s build-up to the tournament.

The Real Madrid forward has been plagued by thigh and knee problems for several weeks, but is expected to feature from the start against Germany in a game both sides can ill afford to lose.

With Ghana and the United States representing potentially tricky future opposition, the European sides in Group G know an early defeat would severely dent their respective hopes of making the last 16.

Portugal will therefore be desperate for Ronaldo, their captain and undoubted star man, to lead from the front as they face a team that has finished third in the last two World Cups.

Midfielder William Carvalho, among those to have delivered positive updates on Ronaldo’s progress in recent days, believes Portugal are capable of impressing against Joachim Low’s men.

“During the training sessions we talk about how we will play with each other, but we simply have our strategy and I am sure that in the first match you will like how we play,” said Carvalho in a press conference.

Germany have been forced to cope with injury issues of their own ahead of the tournament.

Germany have a reputation for starting well in World Cups, having won their opening match in every World Cup since 1990.

And they will rely heavily on Arsenal trio Per Mertesacker, Mesut Özil and Lukas Podolski.