Ng-fivestars - Mail Summary...
- The Seleccao coach is keen for his team to grasp the Scandinavian side's organisation and branded Cristiano Ronaldo the best player in the world
- The Portugal coach Paulo Bento has claimed his team must shut down Sweden to avoid "extraordinary" striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting them to the sword on Friday.
Ng-fivestars Mail Sports...
The two-legged World Cup qualifying play-off between the European nations has been billed as a battle between Ibrahimovic and Seleccao forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ahead of the first leg in Lisbon, Bento has warned his team they cannot afford to simply focus on the Paris Saint-Germain superstar, but acknowledged the Swede's obvious talent.
"Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a great player, he's also in a great moment with his club, he is extraordinary," Bento told a press conference on Thursday.
"For us, to try and stop this player we have to make a collective effort and not just be aware of the individual.
"We need to understand the organisation of Sweden and on the top of everything, play our game."
Bento also talked up the ability of Real Madrid forward Ronaldo, defended his record for Portugal and insisted he deserves to take home the upcoming Fifa Ballon d'Or trophy.
"I think it is natural that sometimes the performance is not the same for the national team compared to the club," the 44-year-old coach added.
"Right now, he is exceptional, with us, some time ago against Northern Ireland [in September when Ronaldo struck a hat-trick] he was sensational and we count on his skills and motivation.
"We will have to be organised and with this he can play in the same way he is playing for Real Madrid.
"Maybe at other times it would not be a fair win, but it would be unfair for Ronaldo not to win [the Ballon d'Or] this year. Right now he is the best player in the world."
Ibrahimovic has scored 15 goals in 17 games for PSG so far this season, while Ronaldo has notched 24 in 17 for Real Madrid in Spain.
Mourinho: Coaching Ronaldo my career highlight
The Chelsea manager worked with the Portuguese for three years at Real Madrid and says it remains the greatest moment of his career to date
Jose Mourinho says coaching Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid remains the highlight of his coaching career so far.
The pair spent three years together at Santiago Bernabeu, with Ronaldo scoring an astonishing 168 goals in 164 games in that time.
And although they reportedly didn't always see eye to eye at los Blancos, the current Chelsea boss was full of praise for the 28-year-old forward.
"Coaching him was the highlight of my career," Mourinho told France Football.
"He's the most professional player I've ever met.
"A coach and player may have their differences at a given time, but it ends there. I don't have any problem.
"Being at a club with Cristiano Ronaldo is the best thing to have happened to me.
"Why? Because if I let him pass ahead of me he would be mobbed immediately, and I would be free to pass by in no hurry.”
Ronaldo has already scored 24 goals in 17 games this term in all competitions and is one of the leading contenders for the Ballon d'Or.
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