Manchester United may be having a tough season, but that doesn’t mean Bruno Fernandes isn’t enjoying himself in the Champions League.
Throughout the campaign, there’s been talk of Bruno Fernandes going “quiet”. Whether it be due to United’s form or the surge of Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernandes’ perceived shortcomings on the pitch have been criticised.
In reality, though, Fernandes is still pulling his weight in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Not our best performance but a very important point gained nonetheless. #mufc pic.twitter.com/CvaaO1M1jt
— Bruno Fernandes (@B_Fernandes8) November 2, 2021
The UCL stats of Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes hasn’t scored in the Champions League, but in our view, that doesn’t really matter.
Firstly, he’s managed to put together five assists across all of United’s UCL encounters thus far.
That means the 27-year-old has been the architect for more than half of their goals in the competition.
In addition, the following chart highlights his tremendous numbers in chances created and expected assists.
Fernandes is lengths above Steven Berghuis, Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller and the rest of Europe’s elite.
He also no longer has to bear the brunt of the goalscoring responsibilities. Ronaldo, Greenwood, Cavani and Rashford are the sharpshooters, with Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings from an AMF role.
How are Manchester United faring in the Champions League?
Manchester United have had an eventful group stage, to say the least.
A shock 2-1 loss to Young Boys in their opening fixture set the tone for a run of games that even Harchester United supporters would say is unrealistic.
77 – Since making his Man Utd debut (February 2020), Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions than any other Premier League player (77 – 44 goals, 33 assists). Product. #ATAMUN pic.twitter.com/e7gF0aSJRE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 2, 2021
They beat Villarreal 2-1 in injury time, came from 2-0 down to defeat Atalanta 3-2 and equalised in the 91st minute to draw with the Italians in the reverse fixture.
With Villarreal and Young Boys to come, United are only top of Group F thanks to their head-to-head record.
Featured image credit: Getty