Manchester United star marks 50th appearance for Portugal with sensational performance
In perhaps the most entertaining match of the World Cup yet, Bruno Fernandes provided two assists as Portugal edged Ghana in a 3-2 victory today.
The Group H encounter between Portugal and Ghana was staged at Stadium 974 in Doha. The European side came out victorious after recently released United star Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 65th minute.
The game was a tale of two halves, with Fernandes and Portugal failing to make their chances count in the first period. Ghana looked steady in defence as they refused to let the 2016 European champions score.
However, the breakthrough came when referee Ismail Elfath awarded a penalty to Ronaldo after he was fouled. The former United star converted the opportunity to score in his fifth straight World Cup and became the first player to do so.
Fernandes was also in the thick of things as he looked to be in menacing form. The United star started his 50th game for Portugal and assisted two goals.
He showed exceptional control in midfield, and every pass and attack seemed to go through him. The former Sporting Lisbon star racked up 94 percent passing accuracy.
Fernandes’ first assist came in the 78th minute when his defence-splitting ball was tucked home by Joao Felix. The United star was soon in action again as he put through Rafael Leao with a beautifully weighted pass.
Adding to his exceptional passing, Fernandes ran a jaw-dropping 11.65 kilometres. The stand-in United captain showcased again why he is one of the best midfielders in the world and how much his presence on the field matters.
Despite the 3-1 scoreline, the drama was not over as Ghana threatened to stage a late comeback via a second goal from Osman Bukari in the 89th minute. However, the scoreline remained 3-2 in favour of Portugal.
Fernandes’ club teammate Diogo Dalot did not feature in the match as he remained on the bench.
United’s reported transfer target, Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, had a sensational game despite failing to keep a clean sheet.
Stat courtesy: WhoScored and FIFA
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