MX23RW : Wednesday, January 1 11:27:35| >> :600:3443154:3443154:

Fernando Santos: 'Cristiano Ronaldo cannot win games on his own'

Fernando Santos: 'Cristiano Ronaldo cannot win games on his own'
© Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo underlined his value to his country by becoming the record scorer in European Championship history.

Portugal head coach Fernando Santos says his side cannot rely on Cristiano Ronaldo to win matches single-handedly ahead of a tantalising Euro 2020 showdown with Germany.

Ronaldo underlined his value to his country by becoming the record goalscorer in European Championship history with 11 courtesy of a late brace in Tuesday's 3-0 success over Hungary.

The Portuguese dominated that Group F encounter in Budapest but only secured victory after striking three times in the final seven minutes.

Fernando Santos guided Portugal to glory at Euro 2016
Fernando Santos guided Portugal to glory at Euro 2016 (AP/Matthias Schrader)

Three-time tournament winners Germany will provide a much sterner test of the reigning champions' credentials on Saturday evening in Munich.

While Santos is delighted to have 36-year-old Juventus forward Ronaldo at his disposal, he is eager to ensure his entire squad remain ready to contribute.

"I have to motivate every single player, not just Ronaldo for instance. Portugal's value is based on our team," Santos told a press conference.

"It's great to have Ronaldo on our side, we're very proud to have him but Cristiano alone cannot win a match.

"We will want everyone to be motivated: the starting 11 and those who are brought on.

"It's important to be motivated but also focused. The will to win is very important, what comes from inside, from within from you soul, that's what creates this amazing desire to win.

"We have to want to win but we have to know how to win because one without the other is useless."

Victory for Portugal at the Allianz Arena would guarantee a place in the knockout stages, while leaving their opponents on the brink of elimination.

Joachim Low's hosts are already playing catch-up following a 1-0 opening loss to world champions France.

"For us, the next match is a great match and we will face it the same way we always do: we want to win, we believe we can win. This is a key game for us," said Santos.

"Germany is a great team but so is Portugal and we're going to display our best abilities on the pitch.

"Over the years, we have shown that we can play even when we don't have the ball and create chances and score and win, and that's what we're going to try to do."

Germany lost narrowly to France following a Mats Hummels own goal
Germany lost narrowly to France following a Mats Hummels own goal (AP/Alexander Hassenstein)

Germany are in danger of a second successive early exit from a major tournament following a dismal display at the 2018 World Cup as defending champions.

Borussia Monchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter is determined to make his nation proud.

"Whenever we achieve success, it leads to such great euphoria across the country," he told EURO2020.com

"For this reason, it's firstly a responsibility we have, a duty to give our all."

Germany right-back Lukas Klostermann suffered a thigh injury in training and will be absent, while Portugal will be without defender Nuno Mendes due to a similar issue.

ID:451903: cacheID:451903:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:14949:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
A general shot of a Premier League football ahead of the Premier League clash between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016
Read Next:
UEFA happy Benjamin Pavard treatment met concussion protocol
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
3Arsenal18106235161936
4Chelsea19105438231535
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1995532211132
6Manchester CityMan City199463226631
7Bournemouth198652923630
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa198562831-329
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton196942928127
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford187383232024
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd196492126-522
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
20Southampton1913151239-276


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!