Bruno Fernandes jumped to Cristiano Ronaldo’s defense after the Portugal captain failed to impress in their 1-0 loss to Spain in the UEFA Nations League group stage.
Portugal and Spain met in Group 2 of League A, with a place at stake for the semifinals of the Nations League. Portugal entered the match as group leader with 10 points from five games. Spain, meanwhile, had added eight points.
A draw would have been enough for Portugal to advance to the semi-finals. Nothing less than a victory would have propelled Spain beyond the group stage.
Spain did exactly that, defeating Portugal 1-0 in that match. That goal came towards the end of the match, with Álvaro Morata finding the back of the net in the 88th minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo defended by Bruno Fernandes
Spain dominated possession against Portugal, but the Euro 2016 winners were not short of opportunities to win the game. Ronaldo was presented with two good opportunities, but the Man Utd icon was unable to capitalize on them.
That would come to haunt Portugal as Morata crushed Portuguese hearts in the 88th minute.
Speaking after the match, Bruno Fernandes insisted that the blame should not be solely Ronaldo’s.
“It wasn’t just Cristiano who failed. We all tried and we couldn’t. The Spain goalkeeper did very well,” Fernandes told Diario Record.
And he added: “Cristiano is fine, with the ambition to help the national team, as he has always been and there is no need to make big stories.”
Ronaldo’s display against Spain was another one of those lackluster performances in a season that hasn’t started well for him.
Ronaldo was linked with a move away from Manchester United in the summer transfer window. The 37-year-old reportedly wanted to play in the Champions League, which Man Utd couldn’t offer.
Reports said that Ronaldo had asked Man Utd to allow him to leave if they received a suitable offer. But a movement never happened, with interest in the Portuguese few and far between.
He ended up staying at Man Utd but has had a difficult start to the 22/23 season. He has appeared in all eight matches that Man Utd have played so far. But he started only three times.
He had also gone goalless in his first seven games for Manchester United this season, before ending the drought with a penalty goal against FC Sheriff in the Europa League.
