Gabriel Magalhães praised Arsenal teammate Gabriel Martinelli after Brazil came from behind to beat Japan at the World Cup.
Gabriel Magalhães praised Gabriel Martinelli after the Arsenal forward scored Brazil’s winner in their World Cup knockout victory over Japan.
Brazil found themselves behind in a testing contest, with Japan refusing to make life easy and pushing the five-time champions deep into the second half. Gabriel played his part as Brazil kept searching for a breakthrough, and it was Martinelli, introduced from the bench, who finally delivered the moment that mattered.
Speaking after the game, Gabriel said Brazil’s half-time message was built around calmness rather than panic.
“The role at half-time was always to pass on calmness,” Gabriel said.
“To keep our heads calm, because we knew that, in the end, we believed and managed to win.”
That belief paid off when Martinelli, making one of the most significant contributions of his international career, found the net. Having started on the bench, the Arsenal forward’s introduction changed the game and sent Brazil through.
Gabriel was later asked about his club teammate and gave a warm answer about their relationship at Arsenal.
“Gabi is my teammate at Arsenal,” Gabriel said.
“Since I arrived, he welcomed me very well. I’m very happy for him because he is a boy who works a lot.
“I tell him he can decide a game at any moment, and today that’s what happened.”
Martinelli has had to battle for opportunities in a Brazil attack full of talent, but his winner against Japan was the sort of moment that can transform a player’s tournament. Gabriel’s words underlined the respect Martinelli commands in the dressing room, not just as a teammate but as a match-winner.
Gabriel also stressed the need for Brazil to keep going until the final whistle.
“We have to fight for the 90 minutes,” he said.
“We know the quality of our team.”
Brazil’s quality eventually shone through, but Gabriel made no attempt to gloss over how tough the match had been. When asked about Japan’s defensive setup and what Brazil might improve, he pointed to the challenge of breaking down a side so well drilled.
“We faced a team that is very well coached and has been playing together for some years,” Gabriel said.
“We knew the game would be difficult.”
Both Arsenal men left the pitch with a major World Cup win to their names, and Gabriel made sure Martinelli’s impact did not go unnoticed.
