Sweden manager names one country as ‘the Manchester City of national teams’ in huge praise | OneFootball

The national team manager of Sweden Jon Dahl Tomasson has compared one nation to Manchester City in the way they play and their chances of silverware this summer.

Pep Guardiola’s side are maintaining their hunt of a back-to-back Treble this season, heading into the business end of the campaign in a Premier League title race with Arsenal and Liverpool, with an FA Cup semi-final and Champions League quarter-final to match.

Manchester City face Chelsea in the last-four of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium towards the end of next month, while Real Madrid are the club’s opponents in the last-eight of Europe’s premier club competition.

It is Manchester City’s relenting desire for success across multiple competitions that has amazed onlookers within the game, with the latest round of praise coming from the world of international football.

Speaking in comments relayed by The Portugal News this week, Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson remarkably claimed that such is Portugal’s size as a competitor in international football at the moment, that they can be regarded as ‘the Manchester City of national teams’.

“Portugal is one of the best teams in Europe. It’s the Manchester City of national teams. In 10 games with coach Roberto Martínez, they have won everything and only conceded two goals,” Tomasson explained.

“They can win the European Championship, just look at the team they have. For me, they are one of the favourites. This Portuguese team inspires me in the way they play. They have good players, but they are a real team.

“They manage to create goal opportunities in several ways, and despite having many stars, they play as a cohesive group.”

Manchester City have a number of representatives in Roberto Martinez’s squad, all of whom are expected to make the final cut for the summer’s European Championships, while Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes, and Bernardo Silva all featured in an international friendly this week.

Dias and Silva have been released by the nation ahead of their final international friendly against Slovenia, enabling them to rest and recover before returning to Manchester City midway through next week ahead of the Premier League clash with Arsenal.

Matheus Nunes was on the scoresheet in Portugal’s 5-2 friendly victory over Sweden on Thursday night, combining with City teammate Bernardo Silva to offer a strike by driving through the heart of midfield in typical fashion for the former Sporting CP star.