Martinez said matches against smaller teams are risky but Portugal got off to a perfect start in Group J. The match marked Ronaldo’s 197th international record, scoring twice. won at Jose Alvalade Stadium to bring his team’s goals to 120.
Martinez told Portuguese TV: “The result is very, very positive. It’s a result of the attitude and the work we’ve done in training. Playing this way is always difficult, but the way we play football and how we extinguish the danger of Liechtenstein is very important.”
Ronaldo just scored twice for the team.
Martinez, the former Belgium coach, replaced Fernando Santos after Portugal were eliminated in the quarterfinals of last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
However, his squad is not much different from his predecessor. Martinez brought Ronaldo back into the starting line-up after he was benched in their last two World Cup matches and was delighted with the 38-year-old’s contribution.
“It’s a new cycle,” he added. It’s important for a player to show commitment and we can use his experienceand Cristiano showed it.”
Thanh Vu | 10:03 March 24, 2023
