“He has a very special profile” - Portugal boss Roberto Martinez hails Chelsea star for ‘fantastic’ display against Robert Lewandowski’s Poland
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has hailed Chelsea's versatile defender Renato Veiga for his impressive performance against Poland on Saturday. Both national teams faced off at the Stadion Narodowy in the Nations League, which saw the Seleçao beat Robert Lewandowski's side 3-1.
It was a comprehensive win for Portugal, with Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring goals in the first half (26', 37') to secure the win. Poland looked to launch a comeback, as Piotr Zielinski made his mark in the 78th minute.
However, this proved to be nothing more than mere consolation for the hosts, as Jan Bednarek scored an own goal to make it three for Portugal. Veiga was one of the players who impressed Martinez.
He talked about the Chelsea talent, who made his debut for the Portugal national team (via Portuguese outlet O Jogo):
“He has a very special profile. In his first training session, he showed that he had gained maturity during the September training camp. He is an aggressive player with great communication skills who can defend large spaces and play in the air against a Poland side that is very strong in set pieces.
"It was a fantastic debut. With a striker like Lewandowski, I think it is a debut that shows Renato’s potential and how he is working at the moment.”
Veiga spent all 90 minutes and seemed assured of himself at the back. He helped the team recycle possession and play out from the back when possible, making 72 touches on the ball. He also made 12 defensive actions while winning two aerial duels.
Chelsea boss praised Renato Veiga for impressive performance against Gent
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was full of praise for Renato Veiga for his brilliant performance against Belgian giants KAA Gent on Oct. 3. They clashed in the UEFA Conference League, with the Blues winning 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.
After the game, Maresca praised Veiga in his press conference, who had only just made the switch from FC Basel for €14 million. He said (via football.london):
"He is tall, he is big. Tonight, he played like an attacking midfielder in the pocket for the first time of the season for us. He did very well. You never imagine Renato arriving in the box and scoring from the other side. That means he is doing well.
“When we needed him as a holding midfielder against Bournemouth, he was there. The other day against Brighton, as a full-back. He is versatile. Tonight he was playing like an attacking midfielder but overall I think he did well.”
The versatile defender has played eight games across all competitions for Chelsea this season, scoring a goal and providing an assist. He will hope he can continue this run of form and cement himself as a long-term member of the Blues' squad.