Bruno ready for another winning run
BRUNO FERNANDES will be hoping to repeat his Euro 2016 victory celebration when Portugal face France for a place in the knockout stage.
The Manchester United star was on a pre-season training camp with Udinese when Eder’s stoppage-time goal crowned Portugal kings of Europe at the expense of France five years ago.
Fernandes, who nervously watched the final alone in his room, did a victory charge through the team hotel to celebrate.
On Wednesday, Portugal and France meet again, for a place in the last 16, with Group F – the so-called Group of Death – thrown wide open by Saturday’s results.All four teams still have a chance to progress.
In Budapest, Fernandes will be hoping for the same feeling of elation he experienced in 2016. “I was at Udinese, at a hotel during our pre-season training camp, with two or three French players,” said Fernandes, who was 21 at the time.
“I decided to stay in my room, to suffer alone. Lots of people were already knocking on my door as France were cranking up the pressure – then the goal happened. I ran down the hall and down to reception shouting and screaming. Obviously, the French guys were a little sadder than I was.”
Cristiano Ronaldo had opened the scoring for Portugal on Saturday, but Germany hit back hard, and Fernandes said: “Germany made the game tough for us. Sometimes we need to get a little bit more on the ball, but Germany’s reaction on the transition was really good. Their press was really good and they deserved to win.”
Kai Havertz and Robin Gosens scored for Germany – along with two own-goals – but coach Joachim Low was full of praise for his veteran attacker Thomas Muller, 31. “Thomas made a lot of runs,” said Low. “He didn’t create so many opportunities, he didn’t score a goal, but he opened up spaces, defended very well and worked a lot for the team.”