Manchester City had a couple of players in action for Portugal last night – and there was also an outing for one player the club reportedly want to sign.
Portugal are gearing up for Euro 2024 and are set to arrive at the tournament in very good form.
On Tuesday night, they beat Finland 4-2 in a friendly, meaning Roberto Martinez has now won 12 of his 13 games in charge.
People have not really spoken about Portugal in terms of winning Euro 2024. But their squad is stacked with quality and they couple potentially be a dark horse.
They have a good blend of experience and youth, and one of their brightest young talents at the moment is Joao Neves, who was given his debut by Martinez against Finland.
He really impressed, leading to praise from his manager after the game…
Man City target Joao Neves leaves Roberto Martinez wowed after his Portugal debut
Portugal ran out 4-2 winners against Finland to continue their great form heading into the Euros.
They took the lead through City defender Ruben Dias, before Diogo Jota made it two from the penalty spot.
Bruno Fernandes added a third in the second-half, but then Finland scored twice in quick succession through Teemu Pukki. Portugal then killed the game late on with Fernandes grabbing his second.
After the game, there were plenty of compliments for Joao Neves, after making his first appearance for his country.
The Benfica youngster played a full game, playing alongside Joao Palhinha and Vitinha in midfield.
As per Sofascore, he had a lot of control in the game, having a whopping 113 touches, which was second only to Vitinha (124). He completed 97/101 passes for an accuracy of 96%.
Martinez said of him after the game (via A Bola): “He showed that he has a great personality, just like Francisco Conceição, that’s what I highlight. João helps his teammates to be better, he has a lot of technical ability and tactical flexibility.”
Neves would be a top signing
Neves is considered one of the brightest young players emerging in Portugal at the moment, and it may not be long before he leaves Benfica.
He does have a whopping £103 million release clause, but it may well be that Benfica are willing to negotiate with other clubs.
Neves is said to be a player that Pep Guardiola likes. And certainly, there is scope for City buying him, as they isn’t a great deal of cover for Rodri. Neves is a midfield anchor, who likes to sit in front of the defence and dictate games.
While he isn’t the biggest, Neves likes to get stuck in and under Pep, he could genuinely become a world-class player.
Against Finland he dominated the game in midfield, despite being just 19 years of age, and he is definitely a player for City fans to keep an eye out for this summer at the Euros.