Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes put Man Utd woes aside to fire Portugal to World Cup | Football | Sport
Manchester United duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes put their patchy club form and questionable chemistry to one side as Portugal saw off North Macedonia 2-0. The result sees them progress to the 2022 World Cup finals, ending the visitors’ hopes of qualifying for their second ever major tournament.
North Macedonia produced perhaps the story of the World Cup qualifying play-off semi finals when an unlikely stoppage-time stunner from Aleksandar Trajkovski was enough to topple Italy in Palermo. Players, staff and fans were all in a state of euphoria at their unlikely triumph, but a tough task against the might of Portugal stood between them and a World Cup spot.
It did not take long for the hosts to assert their authority in Porto. A terrible backwards pass by Stefan Ristovski was intercepted and allowed Ronaldo to streak through on goal, and the Red Devils forward played a delightful nutmeg pass square to Fernandes who dispatched a composed finish.
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The future is considerably murkier for Ronaldo who has been tipped by many to flee Old Trafford if they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Currently, they sit four points behind fourth-place Arsenal having played a game more.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has earned mixed reviews since sensationally returning to United, the club with which he rose to prominence, last summer. A tally of 18 goals in 32 matches is nothing to be scoffed at for a 37-year-old attacker deemed to be over the hill, but some have questioned his broader impact on the team and whether he suits Ralf Rangnick’s pressing style of play.
