Bruno Fernandes demonstrated just how important he is to Portugal with a stunning goal which helped them to a 4-2 win over Finland.
The Manchester United captain scored twice in Tuesday night’s friendly, with his first on 55 minutes seeing him expertly unleash his effort into the top left-hand corner of the net from the edge of the box.
That put Portugal 3-0 up in Lisbon and Fernandes sealed the win with a cool finish after the away side pulled two goals back in quick succession.
Fernandes’ brace comes amid some uncertainty over his future at Old Trafford with Saudi Arabia interested in him.
talkSPORT understands Fernandes wants to stay at Man United but would like more clarity over his future with his current contract lasting until the summer of 2026.
And judging by his performance on Tuesday night, Man United may be in good mind to tie him down.
After Ruben Dias’ header and a Diogo Jota penalty put Roberto Martinez’s side 2-0 up, Fernandes put the home side firmly in charge with his rocket.
The 29-year-old effectively started the move as he clipped the ball into the box to find Man United teammate Diogo Dalot, who subsequently found Goncalo Ramos.
Ramos played it to Francisco Conceicao and after he couldn’t find any room between the Finland defenders the latter pulled it back for Fernandes, who rifled the ball beyond goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Portugal appeared to be home and dry but two goals by ex-Norwich forward Teemu Pukki in the space of six minutes breathed new life into the contest but Fernandes restored a cushion for the hosts as he steered the ball low into the bottom left-hand corner first time after being teed up by Conceicao.
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Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t feature in the friendly and he’s yet to link up with his Portugal teammates as Al Nassr’s season ended later, with their final match coming last Friday.
Portugal are one of the main contenders to win the tournament in Germany with Martinez’s men beginning their campaign on Tuesday June 18 against the Czech Republic. They also face Turkey and Georgia in their group.
