Gabriel Magalhães wants Brazil positive, solid to beat Haiti | OneFootball

Gabriel Magalhães during a press conference ahead of Brazil vs. Haiti, in the second round of the World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

To secure their first win at the World Cup, Gabriel Magalhães expects the Brazilian National Team to keep a clean sheet against Haiti. In a press conference this Thursday (18), on the eve of the match, the center back stressed that he does not want the Seleção to concede any goals.

“We don’t want to concede goals. If we don’t, we’re closer to winning, but it’s all about working together. We know how important it is not to concede. We will definitely go into tomorrow’s game (Friday) with a positive mindset, believing we’ll defend well and come away with the win,” he said.

After the 1-1 draw with Morocco in the opener, he explained that the players discussed the match among themselves and what needed to improve against Haiti.

Gabriel Magalhães during a press conference ahead of Brazil vs. Haiti, in the second round of the World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

“You can be sure we have, yes, we talk every day. We know we need to do that, and the coach has been talking to us a lot as well. We worked very well during the week, we know tomorrow is a big game, and we’re going all out to get the win,” reinforced the 28-year-old defender.

“We know we didn’t start the game well, we’re fully aware of that. It’s not the kind of game we want, we are Brazil, the team that wants to have the ball all the time. That game is behind us now, and it serves as a lesson for us. Tomorrow (Friday) we have another big game. We will definitely show all our strength,” he concluded.

Relationship with Marquinhos

Teammates on the national team and rivals in the most recent Champions League final, Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos shared a memorable moment before reporting to the Seleção. In the final of Europe’s top competition, Marquinhos, captain of both Brazil and champions PSG, chose to comfort his friend Gabriel—who had just missed a penalty for Arsenal, sealing the French side’s title—instead of celebrating with his fans.

The video went viral on social media and highlighted the friendship between the two center backs. According to Gabriel Magalhães, the hug and words of encouragement he received made him care even more for Marquinhos.

“That was a moment of sadness for me. The first thing he did was not celebrate, but give me a hug. What I can say is that he gave me all the support. I’ve been here with him on the national team for two or three years, and I learn every day whenever I’m with him. I’m a huge fan of him as a person and as a player. My affection for him grew even more after the Champions League final,” he said.

Gabriel Magalhães during a press conference ahead of Brazil vs. Haiti, in the second round of the World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.