Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been one of the best players in the World Cup so far.
The United midfielder has contributed two goals and two assists in wins over Ghana and Uruguay, putting him on a par in terms of goal contribution with Kylian Mbappe and Spaniard Álvaro Morata.
If Fernandes doesn’t start against South Korea, Fernando Santos is likely to rest him rather than drop him.
The midfielder’s new prominence is a far cry from his insignificant stature within Portugal’s setup last tournament, where he didn’t start in the tournament’s final game.
The 28-year-old’s brilliant form with Seleção das Quinas de Qatar extends his fine run of five goals and three assists in his five games this season.
Athletic reports on the revitalization of Fernandes with Portugal: “With Portugal, the duo [Ronaldo and Fernandes] playing in tandem, ably assisted by the sublime Bernardo Silva, who has meshed wonderfully with Fernandes so far in the tournament.”
“The direct attack runners are Joao Félix, who has started in both games, and Rafael Leao, who has come off the bench twice. They are the perfect fodder for the through balls from Fernandes, Bernardo and Ronaldo.”
“The [Fernandes]Bernardo and Ronaldo are at the center of Portugal’s surprisingly offensive adventures in Qatar, having previously, rightly, been known as a pragmatic, defense-first side under their pragmatic, defense-first coach Santos. .
Athletic also credit Fernandes’ rise to his handling of a variety of issues off the pitch, especially those surrounding him and Ronaldo.
The two incidents are the handshake fiasco after Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan and, more recently, the uncertainty over who scored the goal against Uruguay.
In both cases, Fernandes refused to be drawn into pointing to the captain of his national team. Instead, he smartly avoided questions and laughed off any breakup claims.
Hopefully the midfielder brings his World Cup form to Old Trafford when club football returns.
