Portugal may be odds-on favourites to notch a comfortable victory over Malta in tonight's World Cup 2010 qualifier but their coach Carlos Queiroz sounded a cautious note yesterday, telling reporters at the Malta FA's technical centre that he has a lot of respect for the team coached by Dusan Fitzel.
"I know that my colleague (Fitzel) has been doing a fantastic job in the last two years and the results are there," Queiroz said.
"We're aware of his team's compact defence. I can assure you that we have a lot of respect for Malta."
Queiroz also spoke highly of striker Michael Mifsud, Malta's best-known player.
"How can I forget Michael Mifsud?" Queiroz exclaimed, referring to the Maltese striker's well-taken brace for Coventry City in their famous win over Manchester United in a League Cup match at Old Trafford last season.
"Mifsud is a very good player and I know what he's capable of doing. He will be under extra supervision and I hope we can keep him under control."
Tonight's match at the National Stadium will be Queiroz's first competitive game as Portugal coach since he quit his post as assistant manager at Manchester United to succeed Luiz Felipe Scolari, who is now in charge of Chelsea.
The former Real Madrid coach has been taken aback by the huge difference between working for a club side and guiding a national team.
"There's a big difference," Queiroz remarked.
"It's more like virtual work, you know like you're on the playstation. That's why we have to use a lot of imagination in this job.
"Basically, 80 per cent of our success depends on the team selection, form and attitude of the players, their motivation and their concentration for the short time they are with the national team.
"I come here with only four training sessions (with the team) and everyone in our country demands that Portugal become world champions in two years' time. We took four years to become champions at Manchester United, that's the difference."
Nuno Gomes, Portugal's veteran forward, echoed Queiroz's comments about Malta.
"It's going to be a difficult game," Gomes said.
"We know that Malta are strong when they play here.
"They've got some fast players up front and they know how to defend. Malta will concentrate on defending but they will try to take the one or two chances they may create during the game. However, we hope we can win this game."
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma, who last week joined Inter from Porto, are the two big-name absentees for Portugal but Nuno Gomes shrugged off suggestions that the team may struggle without them.
"We have a lot of great players in our squad," Nuno Gomes said.
"Ronaldo and Quaresma are top players but we're still strong without them."