Portugal will face Sweden in their inaugural international break friendly. Os Navegadores have an established history against their Scandinavian opponents; however, their squad does have its fair share of issues to contend with.
Cristiano Ronaldo will likely miss this match due to Martinez’s decision to rest him. Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Otavio Ruben Neves and Vitinha have also been given time off. In this article, we will discuss about Portugal National Football Team vs Sweden National Football Team Lineups.
Rui Patricio
Rui Patricio will return for Portugal following six games out due to injury, potentially keeping his spot ahead of Joao Cancelo and Diogo Dalot. Nelson Semedo and Raphael Guerreiro could also be considered contenders.
Sweden will look to avoid their fourth consecutive loss as they prepare to compete at Euro 2024 under new manager Jon Dahl Tomasson. After finishing bottom of their qualifying group, Sweden have shown much promise since then under Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof’s guidance.
Viktor Gyokeres will aim to add further goalscoring totals this season with Sporting Lisbon striker leading European scoring charts. Joining him will be Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak and Tottenham Hotspur defender Dejan Kulusevski as part of a Swedish attack trio.
Nelson Semedo
Nelson Semedo (knee) resumed training Thursday and is likely to make the roster if his injury doesn’t prevent it. The left-back has been an asset on defense this season with an average of 2.1 tackles and 2.2 clearances per game while having some difficulties joining attacks at times.
Portugal are on an upward trend following a stellar Euro qualifying campaign under Roberto Martinez and will look to extend that momentum against Sweden, whose new manager Jon Dahl Tomasson will attempt to overcome their disappointing failure to qualify for this tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Saturday’s match, but will return for next week’s friendly against Slovenia. Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Danilo Pereira, Otavio Ruben Neves Vitinha and Joao Felix may also receive rest periods.
Pepe
Bayern Munich centre-back Sebastian Rudy excelled during Euro 2024 qualifying. He recorded nine tackles against Azerbaijan and Estonia and was integral to Portugal’s top two finish in their group – even providing Cristiano Ronaldo with an assist goal for an emphatic 5-0 win against Finland!
Pepe has been an outstanding leader for Portugal and was instrumental in their victory at Slovenia in the Round of 16 match, securing another European Championship win after taking home Real Madrid’s Champions League trophy earlier in May. He played an instrumental part in leading Portugal to victory.
He became the oldest player ever to appear in a knockout match at either major tournament (Euros or World Cup) excluding shootouts at 41 years and 126 days old.
Ruben Dias
Portugal will enter this match confident they can prevail even without Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks. They won the inaugural UEFA Nations League, boasting players such as Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Nelson Semedo, Danilo Pereira Ruben Neves Otavio Vitinha.
Matheus Nunes of Manchester City and Sporting Lisbon winger Pedro Goncalves were two such players on the verge of receiving national team call-ups but weren’t selected in this matchup against Portugal’s world-class defense. Both teams will want to use this matchup as an opportunity to boost confidence leading into Euro 2024; winning will give one side an important step toward tournament victory.
Matheus Nunes
Matheus Nunes has been impressive this season for Manchester City, creating two chances and making three crosses. He was key in their recent win against Arsenal and should remain an important rotational piece under Pep Guardiola.
He was outstanding against Sweden, demonstrating his ability to move with the ball and finish shots with great skill. Portuguese media outlets lauded his performance.
He made another decisive save against Viktor Gyokeres, who attempted to beat him from the edge of the box. Portugal were victorious with ease as their goalkeeper’s follow-through proved exceptional and saved Gyokeres’ shot with ease, leading to an easy win for Portugal at home in September when the UEFA Nations League kicks off – while Sweden are currently going through transition and must improve to qualify for Euro 2024 qualification.
Joao Palhinha
Joao Palhinha wasn’t raised with any professional athletes in his family; yet, despite this fact, his passion for football began at age 4. Even though his skills weren’t exceptional at first, his enthusiasm only intensified over time.
Fulham midfielder Emerson plays for Portugal, and has been called up for their matchup against Sweden on Thursday in Guimaraes. Manager Roberto Martinez may rest Cristiano Ronaldo but Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Otavio Ruben Neves Vitinha and Joao Felix should feature.
Sweden will look to bounce back from their Euro 2024 qualifier defeat against Austria and find form under new coach Jon Dahl Tomasson, currently ranked 26th by FIFA. Sweden have four friendlies this month against Navegadores with kick off scheduled at 20:00 local time.
Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has quickly earned fans at Manchester United with his precise passes and tireless work ethic off the pitch. Additionally, his dedication to COVID-19 relief efforts in Portugal makes him a popular figure.
Portugal enter this match full of momentum after winning all 10 Euro 2024 qualifiers under Martinez’s management, yet their coach has decided to rest key players such as Cristiano Ronaldo for this first commitment of FIFA Date. Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira Otavio Ruben Neves and Vitinha will not play either.
Jon Dahl Tomasson will make his managerial debut for Sweden in this match and has made headlines by opting to leave out prominent players such as Filip Helander, Ken Sema, Martin Olsson, Jesper Karlstrom Marcus Rohden Isaac Kiese Thelin Robin Quaison in favor of youth-teamers like Ken Sema Marcus Rohden Isaac Kiese Thelin Robin Quaison in favor of underclassmen – making for an intriguing encounter!
Bernardo Silva
Portugal and Sweden will meet for a friendly on Thursday at Guimaraes’ Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques Stadium. Portugal are playing their inaugural match under new manager Roberto Martinez while Sweden aim to gain some redemption after failing to qualify for Euro 2024 under Jon Dahl Tomasson’s guidance.
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva shone against Sweden, as one of Pep Guardiola’s key wingers and one of Europe’s underrated talents.
Stamford Bridge and Anfield games, where any turnover or lost duel could be harshly punished, is where Brazilian-born Portuguese has excelled. His performance against Sweden earned praise from their national coach; his versatility makes him an ideal candidate to start this match; he can play across either midfield or attack positions.
Goncalo Ramos
Goncalo Ramos stands out as one of the brightest prospects at Portugal’s youth academy, Benfica Campus. He has shown his talents on numerous occasions and his performance against Spain will no doubt boost his confidence further. Having grown up in an environment that values hard work, Ramos can thank his family for much.
Portuguese emerged as winners in their Euro qualifying group and have been impressive this month. Roberto Martinez decided to rest Cristiano Ronaldo but his teammates will remain. Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Danilo Pereira, Ruben Neves, Vitinha Otavio and Joao Felix will take to the pitch; Francisco Conceicao and Rafael Leao can show their talents without him on display. Meanwhile Sweden failed to qualify for summer tournaments but have named former Blackburn Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson as their coach.
Rafael Leao
Rafael Leao scored two goals against Sweden to become Portugal’s leading scorer this season. Roberto Martinez has relied on Rafael as an integral member of his squad, hoping that Rafael continues his exceptional form for both club and country.
Portugal have won 10 consecutive matches under Martinez to qualify for Euro 2024, during his entire time as coach. Martinez may rest some first team regulars, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Otavio, Ruben Neves Vitinha and Joao Felix have also been listed by Martinez to rest. Cristiano Ronaldo will return for their match against Slovenia on March 26.
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