Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes showcased his leadership skills as he played the full 90 minutes and guided Portugal to an impressive 5-2 victory over Sweden on Thursday evening.
The friendly match, held at Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, served as preparation for the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament scheduled for the summer.
Fernandes was deployed in a midfield trio alongside Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes, starting the game with great energy.
In the 57th minute, Fernandes provided an assist for Bruma’s goal, further contributing to Portugal’s commanding performance.
Throughout his time on the pitch, the playmaker had a total of 73 touches on the ball. He made 59 pass attempts, successfully completing 49 of them, resulting in an impressive pass accuracy rate of 83%. Additionally, he delivered two key passes during the match.
Fernandes demonstrated his vision and range of passing by attempting six long balls and four crosses. Of his long ball attempts, he successfully found his intended target three times, while only one of his crosses was accurate.
Furthermore, he created a significant scoring opportunity for his team.
In terms of individual actions, the 29-year-old successfully completed one dribble and engaged in five ground duels, emerging victorious in three of them. He also contributed defensively with one clearance and twice as many tackles.
Fernandes will undoubtedly aim to continue his impressive form when Portugal faces Slovenia in another friendly encounter on Tuesday.