Erik ten Hag hails Bruno Fernandes for his performance in UEL. Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, praised Bruno Fernandes for his superb performance in the team’s easy 4-1 victory over Real Betis on Thursday (March 9). The Red Devils took a giant step toward the quarterfinals after a fantastic victory in the first leg of their round of 16 matches at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag was taken aback by Fernandes’ performance, particularly the way he handled the park’s center. In a statement, the company said, “He was amazing today”
Fernandes was in the news all week after a controversial and unsatisfactory display against Liverpool last Sunday (March 5). On a humiliating day when United was thrashed 7-0, the vice-captain of the Red Devils was the villain.
Ten Hag assured Fernandes that he had his full support and would continue to serve as captain prior to the match against Betis. Ten Hag gained trust in the Portuguese midfielder after he gave a standout performance against Betis.
In the sixth minute, he assisted Marcus Rashford in scoring, and his cross dispersed Betis players. Rashford eventually outran Claudio Bravo after the ball landed in his path.
For Manuel Pellegrini’s team, Ayoze Perez, a former striker for Newcastle United, scored the equalizer in the 32nd minute. The 52nd minute saw Manchester United retake the advantage, thanks in large part to Fernandes. The Portuguese playmaker found Antony on the right flank. The Brazilian winger cut inside before unleashing an amazing effort past Bravo. In the 58th minute, Fernandes got a goal in response to his excellent play.
The midfielder headed home from the highest point on the field to make it 3-1 for United. Then, in the 82nd minute, Wout Weghorst added a fourth, giving Ten Hag’s team a commanding lead in their last 16 games. Next Thursday, the second leg will be held at Benito Villamarin (March 16).
Ten Hag fielded the same team that fell to Liverpool handily. The starting lineup for Manchester United was the same as the one that lost to Liverpool by a dismal score of 7-0 last Sunday. Given the manner of that defeat and the volume of criticism players like Fernandes, Wout Weghorst, and Diogo Dalot got, many were taken aback.
Despite this, Ten Hag made the right choice, and United easily defeated Betis. Prior to the game, Scholes hypothesized that the Dutch coach was evaluating the character of his team. “The manager has said to forget that, and it does not matter, I am sending the same time out,” he said to BT Sport. After the disastrous second half at Liverpool, they owe me money.
“I think he has the same team out tonight to test a few characters to see how they develop moving forward and to see if they can really play for me in big games when it really matters,” Scholes continued. The following game for Manchester United is Sunday’s league matchup against Southampton (March 11).
Stay connected to your favorite players and clubs even during the off-season with updates and news about training, friendlies, and tours.
