Man City ready for international showdown with Manchester United ace who led ‘clinical’ win

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Manchester City star Rodri has paid some rather inadvertent praise for Manchester United’s Scott McTominay ahead of Thursday night’s European Championship re-match between Spain and Scotland.

Have Manchester United just unlocked the ‘Scotland McTominay’? As the homegrown midfielder stepped off the bench before turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win in the blink of an eye against Brentford last weekend, a player who has scored goals for fun at international level over the last few months appeared to finally discover his golden touch at Old Trafford too.

Rodri, the Man City star still haunted by Spain’s 2-0 McTominay-inspired defeat to Scotland back in March, knows only too well how lethal Man United’s number 39 can be when a ball drops loose inside the penalty area.

McTominay scored both goals in that iconic Scotland triumph. Repeat the trick tonight and Steve Clarke’s side will have secured their place on the plane to Germany.

Man United vs Man City as Spain take on Scotland

“Scotland aren’t top of the group by luck. They have demonstrated an excellent level in the game so they deserve to be the leader,” Rodri says, via the Daily Record, before turning sourer than a bowl of lemons on Mauricio Pochettino’s desk.

“But the match in Glasgow was very rare. They were clinical with their shots and we weren’t, which is unusual.”

Now, Rodri does have a point.

Scotland attempted only three shots on goal during that wonderful night at Hampden Park and scored twice, McTomiany coolly converting an Andy Robertson cross before showcasing both control and power with a fizzing second.

McTominay has seven goals in Scotland colours. Six of those have come in his last six games.

‘One of the best in Europe’

“He’s absolutely flying at this moment in time (for Scotland),” Celtic legend Sutton recently told the BBC’s Monday Night Club.

“On McTominay, I do think this is really important. Some people think he’s not good enough to play for Manchester United, that just depends how good you have to be to play for Manchester United at the moment. But even if he isn’t, he’s still one of the best midfielders in Europe.”