Before Portugal's Primeira Liga match against Norway, manager Jorge Jesus attended a pre-match press conference. He discussed Norway's strong pressure, Bruno Fernandes' injury, Cristiano Ronaldo's availability, and his considerations for Bernardo Silva's midfield role. This was the opening part of the press conference.

Jorge, let's talk about this match. The team has had very little time to train on the pitch, so we've spent a lot of time watching videos. Norway are a really impressive team—they've caught the attention of top clubs around the world, and they haven't lost at home since March 2024. How are you preparing for such a difficult match, and what are your thoughts on it?

As you said, this will be a difficult match because Norway as both a team and individual players are very strong. They proved their quality at the last World Cup. They have Haaland and Odegaard, and they could be among the best attacking partnerships in Europe right now. Plus, there are many players we know from the Portuguese league. They have their strengths and are clearly quality. Portugal has the same, though. The team has trained very little with me, but I have great confidence in what we can achieve tomorrow. Let me be clear about one thing: I'm not afraid of Norway. The team I will field will prioritize attacking over defending, based on my tactical approach.

Everyone is talking about how to stop Haaland. In the last match, you used Ruben Dias and Renato Sanches, who are both strong, physically robust defenders. First, I want to ask: will they both play tomorrow? Also, Ruben trains daily with Haaland, so you know him very well. Have you discussed anything with him about this? Has he offered any advice to the team?

Not yet. Until now, we've focused on what we did well and what we didn't do well in our last match against Wales. We'll discuss Norway specifically in our internal team meeting, especially after we return to the hotel today.

Norway's style of play is very clear. They're physically strong and excellent at aerial duels. They're tactically sophisticated and have many good players. Portugal also has good players, no doubt. But what concerns me most isn't these characteristics—it's their defensive style of play.

They press constantly and move with great speed while defending, without seeming tired. I want my team to play similarly. We need to adapt to their pressure. Otherwise, we'll lose many balls when building from the back. This is currently my biggest concern for the match.

Norway's manager expected his team to be more tired in the early stages, but the situation was better than anticipated, so he'll make fewer changes than planned. Did you decide on the team list for tomorrow without looking at Portugal's performance against Wales, or are you also considering making fewer changes because the players' physical condition is better than expected?

That's an interesting question. As managers, we may have ideas before a match, but after it ends, we see the players' condition much more clearly. Norway played Denmark and we played Wales.

Against Wales, almost all our players were in good physical condition. However, after the match, Bruno Fernandes' injury became quite a serious problem. We'll have to wait and see how he develops tomorrow.

Also, tomorrow is the third day after the match. From my experience as a manager, not all players recover fully by the third day from a physical recovery perspective. That's true for both Norway and Portugal. I'll carefully monitor which players haven't fully recovered. But it's not just about those who haven't recovered—it's also whether replacement players can provide similar quality and reliability. My decisions tomorrow will depend on these factors.

Will Portugal live up to external expectations?

That depends on my tactical ideas. I have my own philosophy about how we should play. I've said this before in an interview with another journalist. We all know Norway has a strong attack. But their strong attack doesn't mean we focus only on defending when selecting players. Quite the opposite—if their attack is threatening, I want our attack to be threatening too. That's how we'll approach tomorrow's match.

To be specific, we'll go out on the pitch today—not for training, but to gather some information. We'll observe each player's individual physical condition. By "recovery," I mean reduced fatigue. However, it's only the second day after the match, which is typically the most physically demanding day, so it's difficult to make a full assessment now. My fundamental idea is not to fear Norway. But the word "fear" might not be the most accurate. What I mean is that I know Norway is strong and has good players. But as a manager, I also know I have a strong team with exceptional players.

In the last match, you said the team wanted a more aggressive playing style against Ruben Neves, so you substituted Joao Palhinha. Tomorrow will likely have even more physical confrontations. Will Palhinha play? Also, do you consider Ailing Haaland the best striker currently?

Are you asking if Joao will play, or are you telling me he will? As you know, I worked with Ruben Neves for two years, so I know him very well.

Right now, everyone is at the start of the season. I saw in the last match when he started to lose sharpness, when he got a bit tired. He has a particular running style, and when I saw that, I noticed his defensive reactions and movements had slowed. I won't detail that running style. In attack, he can play at a slower pace. I noticed these things, which is why I brought in Palhinha.

Regarding Haaland, from my perspective, he's currently in excellent physical condition and very tactically mature. But it depends on where you're talking about. In the penalty area, he's truly exceptional. Outside the penalty area, I can't say he's equally outstanding in all aspects—though he's very fast. Currently, in the penalty area, Osimhen and Haaland are the two best strikers I know.

You mentioned Bruno Fernandes' physical condition earlier. Is his availability tomorrow a concern for you? Also, tell us about Nuno Mendes' condition. He was substituted in the Wales match. How is his recovery progressing?

The medical team has indicated that the condition of these two players requires the most careful attention. One of them is Nuno Mendes, who can play in the match. The other is Bruno, and from today until tomorrow, it depends on his treatment and whether this time allows him to recover adequately.

Bruno arrived from Manchester with an injury. He told me he's been playing with pain for about three matches. His not performing at his usual level in the Wales match is one of the reasons for this.I trained with him before and know him well. I've also spoken with him. For tomorrow's match, I don't want to take a risk with Bruno. So he will likely have a better physical condition to participate in the Denmark match.

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