Leandro Trossard expected a slightly easier draw than Portugal after Belgium finished top of their group at Euro 2020, but he is excited for the challenge nonetheless.
Three wins from three in Group B saw the Red Devil’s fly through to the next knockout stages, but now face arguably one of the best squads in the tournament, who are captained by five-time Ballon D’or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
“There’s a lot of confidence in the team, we got nine points from nine available, a perfect report!” Trossard said. “We play a big team in Portugal, but we have the belief in ourselves, as well as the knowledge of how difficult these sorts of games can be, especially in a tournament.
Sevilla just got a little warmer. ☀ #DEVILTIME #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/GwhOHYDuZP
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) June 26, 2021
“Normally if you finish top of your group you would expect to play against a side that has less quality than Portugal do. But we can’t change it, it’s exciting to have the chance to play against someone like [Cristiano] Ronaldo, he’s one of the best in the world and it’s always nice to see in real life how they act and play.
“Then you’ve got the Premier League players who in England we know all about like Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Dias. It’s exciting - hopefully we can beat them.”
The 26-year-old made his first start of the tournament in Belgium’s final group match – a 2-0 win over Finland – which proved to be a proud moment for the winger.
“It was a pleasure and I was very proud when I first found out I was going to play. We have got a really strong squad and to get minutes gives you a really good feeling. It was nice for me to play and be part of a winning team, to finish top of the group.
Ready for more! 💪🇧🇪 #DEVILTIME pic.twitter.com/gB0qc1yKOj
— Leandro Trossard (@LTrossard) June 21, 2021
“I was already happy when Roberto Martinez included me in the squad, it’s great to play alongside some world class players – you can learn a lot. I feel a real part of the team.
“Some of the guys in training are unbelievable, people who aren’t in the Premier League anymore like Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, you can see their qualities.”
Closer to home, Trossard was delighted to see Danny Welbeck commit his future to Albion.
“Danny was great to work with last year and he has already given a lot in a Brighton shirt. I am happy that he’s staying – he can score goals as he proved and helped us to win games. It’s a good thing for us that he signed a new contract.”
Belgium face Portugal tonight in Seville, kick-off 8pm.