Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes Reflects on Game-Changing Penalty Against Roma
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes shared insights following his pivotal penalty against AS Roma, which helped the team secure a comeback victory in the Champions League showdown. “I was lucky honestly, but the second time I made a decision,” Fernandes commented on the retake.
In an intense match at Old Trafford, Roma initially seized control with a 2-0 lead within the first 18 minutes, thanks to a strike from Matias Soulé and a penalty from Donyell Malen. Manchester United, however, received a chance to cut the deficit with a penalty of their own. Fernandes’s first attempt was blocked by Roma’s goalkeeper, Devis Vasquez. After VAR intervention, the penalty was ordered to be retaken due to encroachment by Bryan Cristante. This time, Fernandes scored, igniting United’s comeback, which culminated in a 3-2 win.
Reflecting on the moment, Fernandes stated, “I knew it was a big responsibility; it could’ve changed the game and we really needed a goal to get the crowd behind us.” He acknowledged the nerves surrounding a penalty, noting, “It is just you against the goalkeeper, and nobody else can help in that situation.”
The Portugal international disclosed that luck played a role when Cristante entered the box too early, granting him a second chance. On the retake, he aimed with conviction, declaring, “I decided to pick a spot and hit it as hard as I could without trying to second-guess where the goalkeeper was going.”
Following a season marked by struggles, including a difficult 4-1 defeat to Como, Manchester United’s players faced scrutiny. There were reports that club staff had previously restricted Fernandes from speaking in Italian to local media, despite his prior experience in Serie A. This time, he was able to express himself in Italian, addressing the ongoing challenges within the squad as they strived for a turnaround after being winless since September 10.
“This is a very important win because obviously things aren’t going the way we want them to,” Fernandes explained. He emphasized the need for the team to rise above its difficulties, stating, “We aim to do one thing and we do another. We concede goals at the start of games, it is a truly difficult moment, but we must try to get ourselves out of it.”
Fernandes is optimistic that the victory can instill confidence moving forward, noting, “There is quality in this squad, we saw what we did last season and it’s not possible that it all just disappeared.” He also highlighted the addition of new talent over the summer and urged his teammates to maintain momentum.
