Bruno Fernandes did not score when Manchester United beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Old Trafford stadium on Sunday (8/3). However, the role of Fernandes remains vital in the Red Devils midfield.
Fernandes was again played as a starter in this match by coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He was accompanied by Nemanja Matic who was in charge of deciding the opponent’s attack and Fred who served as a box to box midfielder.
The presence of Matic and Fred makes Fernandes more flexible in creating attacks based on the placement of the player’s position as an attacking midfielder. Even though on the field, Fernandes often helps the defense team.
These three players fought fiercely with the Man City midfield. The game is controlled by Man City who rely on possession, but Manchester United are always dangerous when counterattacking thanks to measurable passes from Fernandes.
The former Sporting Lisbon player served as a ‘brain attack’ for Manchester United. Fernandes’ movement, position placement, and bait made Man City’s defense tense.
The first threat was given Fernandes when the game runs 16 minutes. Fernandes provides measurable feedback for Daniel James who is not guarded on the front lines.
Fernandes bait successfully mastered by James. However, the Welsh winger’s shot was too weak so Ederson was easily anticipated.
Twelve minutes later, Fernandes actually had the opportunity to score in this match if Anthony Martial was not selfish. Martial chose to release the kick from a tight angle rather than give feedback to Fernandes who stood free in the Man City penalty box.
Fernandes looked annoyed, but that didn’t make him neglect to pamper Martial. In the 30th minute, Fernandes became the creator of Manchester United’s first goal scored by Martial.
Fernandes cleverly unleashed a clever pass through a free-kick scheme that was met by Martial’s first-time shot. Kick from the French striker was breaking into Ederson’s goal.
Fernandes maturity in playing makes Manchester United rarely lose the ball in this match. The 25-year-old midfielder also helped Matic and Fred, who have been inconsistent throughout the season, play better.
In the middle of the second half, Fernandes could have put the name on the scoreboard. But that didn’t happen because James didn’t give the bait he was supposed to do.
James who was in a narrow angle forced to do a kick that could be easily blocked by Ederson. In fact, Fernandes is in a more advantageous position if James decides to cut back in the penalty box.
If Martial and James give feedback to Fernandes, it is not impossible that Manchester United is already superior by a three-goal margin midway through the second half. The situation is certainly more favorable for the Red Devils even though the second goal can be created by Scott McTominay before the match was over.
Manchester United came out as the winner and confirmed the status as ruler of Manchester. And, more importantly, this victory further confirms the improved performance of Manchester United with Fernandes.
Since Fernandes came, Manchester United has forgotten what it feels to lose. The team that collected 20 English League titles won five wins and three draws in all competitions.
The good results achieved by Manchester United in line with the slick performance of Fernandes. In the English League, the player who started his career in Italy with Novara has scored two goals and provided three assists in five matches.
Good performance Fernandes proved to make Manchester United players perform better. In fact, the Red Devils performance graphs remain good despite Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba injured.
Fernandes figure makes Manchester United now dare to dream again. Teams based at Old Trafford can be more confident of pursuing tickets to qualify for the Champions League zone next season.
Manchester United is currently ranked fifth in the English Premier League standings with 45 points. Manchester United are three points adrift of Chelsea, who occupy the end of the Champions League zone.
Manchester United still has a great opportunity to overtake Chelsea (48 points) and Leicester City (50 points) with nine games remaining until the end of the season. Although the fifth position is enough to take the Red Devils qualify for the Champions League if Man City’s appeal related to a ban on appearing in the Champions League is rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Besides the dream of qualifying for the Champions League next season, the presence of Fernandes makes the Manchester United fan’s trust back. At least with a better squad plus the figure of Fernandes, Manchester United can enliven the competition to win the title next season.
