Watch: Bruno Fernandes scores penalty in the absence of Ronaldo
It’s a sight that has been familiar for Manchester United fans and Premier League audiences in recent years: Bruno Fernandes confidently stepping up to slot home a penalty.
But it’s a sight that may become increasingly rare going forward following the return of Fernandes’ Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
United’s new No.7 will almost certainly return to penalty-taking duties, having been a relatively reliable spot-kick taker in his record-breaking career. He did, however, miss a penalty in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.
But Ronaldo made amends by scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes to turn a defeat to victory for Portugal, sending them one step closer to Qatar in the process. However, he was booked for taking his shirt off celebrating his last-minute winner and is suspended for next week’s qualifier against Azerbaijan.
The 36-year-old returned to Manchester to train with his new team-mates ahead of his potential second United debut against Newcastle on Saturday, also missing a Saturday night friendly against Qatar.
A surprisingly tetchy match saw next year’s World Cup hosts reduced to nine men, with Fernandes capping off Portugal’s 3-1 win with a penalty in the closing stages after Liverpool’s Diogo Jota was felled in the box.
We might not see many more of these if Ronaldo has his way.
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