Swedish midfielder Albin Ekdal has praised Inter’s Milan Skriniar ahead of tomorrow’s Group E clash between Sweden and Slovakia.

Speaking at an official press conference ahead of the match, reported by Italian news outlet FCInterNews, the Swede explained some of the qualities which make his Serie A and international rival such a difficult defender to play against.

He also noted that the 26-year-old Slovak is not simply a strong defensive presence, but also a major goal threat.

This is not just a quality that was on show when Skriniar scored the winner for Slovakia in Monday’s win over Poland, but also something that Inter supporters will be familiar with.

The Slovak scored the winner in Inter’s home fixture against Atalanta, an important win in cementing the Nerazzurri as scudetto favourites.

The Inter man comes into tomorrow’s match on the back of a win which took Slovakia top of the group, while Ekdal will know that the game could be do-or-die with Sweden having taken only one point from their opener against Spain.

About Skriniar, Ekdal said: “I know him, he is an incredibly good player. Aggressive and fast in defense, one of the best in the world. We have to be careful about him in defense, but also about aerial situations in attack.”