The young national team is heading into a new challenge. They just beat Bulgaria 3-0. Now, they look to Gibraltar on Tuesday at Europa Point Stadium. The game has an extra layer of difficulty, a wrinkle in the playbook: a synthetic pitch. For Tiago Gabriel, the 20-year-old center-back from Lecce, this means adapting, but not changing the goal. He wants three more points on the road to the 2027 European Championship.
Gabriel didn’t mince words when speaking to Canal 11. “We’ve done the important work so far,” he said. “Three games, three victories. Many goals scored, zero goals given up. That’s huge for us. We want to be the top attack and the best defense out there.” He made it clear the team aims for a perfect record. “We want to keep winning, if we can, to qualify for the European Championship in the best way possible.” He praised the group’s spirit. “The team is very united. It’s a good, young squad, and we are all locked onto our objectives.”
That synthetic pitch against Gibraltar will certainly make things different. “Playing on artificial grass will make our job harder,” Gabriel explained. “It’s not the same at all. We are a team that likes to keep the ball. We love to pass it around.” Still, the young defender is pragmatic. “Most of us played on synthetic pitches when we were coming up through the youth ranks. So, the game will feel different, but the main goal stays the same: we need to win clearly.”
Gabriel himself has been a steady presence in defense. He has played every minute of this qualifying round. “I’ve been playing with Gonçalo Oliveira so far,” he noted. “We hadn’t played together before, but I think we’re building a strong partnership.” He has faith in the entire squad. “This national team has a lot of quality. No matter who steps onto the field, I believe they’ll be ready to help the team.” He stressed the importance of keeping a clean sheet. “It’s really important for us not to let in any goals.”