When the road is dark, he’s the light”, “Deserves a statue

Manchester United fans online have expressed satisfaction with Bruno Fernandes’ performance following their victory against Athletic Club. The Red Devils recorded a 3-0 win in the Europa League semifinal first leg on Thursday (May 1).

Fernandes was at his best, having netted two crucial goals that guaranteed victory for the Old Trafford outfit. During the game, Casemiro planted his header into the net after being set up via a headed pass from Manuel Ugarte in the 30th minute.

Two minutes later (32’), Dani Vivian fouled Rasmus Hojlund in the penalty area and United were awarded a spot-kick after the VAR’s intervention. Fernandes doubled Manchester United’s lead from the spot, sending Athletic’s goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala in the wrong direction.

At the tail end of the first half (45′), Fernandes tripled United’s lead following a setup from Ugarte. United were also dominant in the second half but failed to score, as the game ended 3-0 in their favor.

In his stint, Fernandes maintained a passing precision of 78% (45/58). He provided three key passes, recorded three shots on target, and won six out of eight contested ground duels (via Sofascore).

Manchester United fans lauded the Portuguese star on X after their game against Athletic Club, with one tweeting:

“Call him when the road is dark He’s the light 💡.”

“Indeed, what a player. Bruno is always brilliant!,” another added.

“What an incredible player Bruno Fernandez,” an excited fan opined.

“Bruno Fernandes is the heartbeat of Manchester United vision like a hawk, work rate like a machine, and a knack for showing up when it matters most. He’s not just a playmaker; he’s the pulse of this team. Give him his flowers.,” another tweeted.

“Bruno Fernandes is a Manchester United legend.,” another suggested.

“Deserves a statue.,” wrote another.

“The manager and physio say that I need to relax and rest, but I say no” – Manchester United captain on what transpired before the win against Athletic Club

Fernandes has revealed that before the game, Ruben Amorim and United’s physio encouraged him to rest. However, he chose to play and was the architect behind United’s victory over Athletic Club.

He said after the game (via journalist Fabrizio Romano’s X handle):

“The manager and physio say that I need to relax and rest, but I say no”. “When I die, I will have a lot of time to lay down and rest.”

Having scored twice during the game, the Portuguese became the first player to register over 30 goal contributions in the Europa League knockout stage. The achievement took him only 32 games (via ‘Football on TNT Sports’ on X).

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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a ‘Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder’s ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese’s tactical mind. He feels France’s triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Parag Jain