Roberto Martinez’s Portugal continues its flawless performance, after its ten out of ten in Euro qualifying. The Seleçao easily won this Thursday in Guimaraes (5-2) in a friendly against a very pale Swedish team, for the first time on the bench of Dane Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Félix, Joao Cancelo and five other teammates (including Vitinha and Danilo), who were exempt from this first match, were missing. Diogo Costa, the starting goalkeeper, was missing, injured at the start of the rally. But on the pitch, the Seleçao did not give the impression that it was missing anything. With the indestructible Pepe in the hinge, Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes to organize the game and Gonçalo Ramos at the forefront, Portugal wandered around, in particular thanks to a Nuno Mendes – Rafael Leao left side which broke everything in the first period.
Vitinha and Danilo Pereira could get playing time in Slovenia on Tuesday
The ex-Lille player opened the scoring with a shot into the top corner (24th) after Bernardo Silva had hit the post. Then another Citizen, Matheus Nunes, calmly slalomed through the Swedish defense (33rd), before Mancunian neighbor Bruno Fernandes took advantage of an offering from Nelson Semedo to score the third before the break (45th).
The Red Devil turned into a passer for Bruma (57th), before Ramos also scored his small goal (63rd) just before his exit. Martinez could give his first minutes to Jota Silva, the “Jack Grealish of Guimaraes”, who narrowly missed the sixth (86th). Sweden saved its honor thanks to Viktor Gyokeres (59th), the top scorer in the…Portuguese Championship with Sporting. Then scored an anecdotal goal by Gustaf Nilsson (90th).
In Slovenia on Tuesday, the Portuguese team should be very different, as another group of eight players should leave the gathering. Vitinha and Danilo Pereira could get playing time.