Man United’s Bruno Fernandes explains why he handed penalty to Rashford vs Basaksehir
Last Updated: November 26, 2020 2:31 pm
Man United hammer Basaksehir
Manchester United played host to Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday evening.
The previous meeting between the two sides saw United fall to something of a shock defeat.
At Old Trafford, though, there would be no such surprise, with the Manchester powerhouse having dominated from the off.
Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring with seven minutes gone, before adding his second 19 minutes in.
Marcus Rashford then put the result beyond doubt after 35 minutes, converting a penalty.
The Turkish outfit did manage to pull one back with 15 minutes remaining. This, in the end, though, proved little more than a consolation, as Daniel James made it 4-1 in second-half injury-time.
With PSG having downed RB Leipzig in Group H’s other tie on Tuesday, United now sit three points clear in top spot with two games to play.
Manchester United’s Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leaves after the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in south London on July 16, 2020. – Manchester United won the game 2-0. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / POOL / AFP)
Why Fernandes handed spot-kick to Rashford
As you have no doubt gathered by now, Bruno Fernandes proved one of, if not the standout star for Man United on Tuesday.
It is also worth noting, though, that Fernandes, who probably deserved it, could have capped off his excellent display with a hat-trick by stepping up to take a first-half penalty.
However, the Portuguese instead opted to hand the opportunity to Marcus Rashford, with Fernandes having since provided an explanation for his decision:
“Of course every player wants a hat-trick
“But after the game in the Premier League I told Rashford that he could take the next one so I remembered that and also he’s one of the top scorers in the Champions League so it’s important for him to get the confidence.
“It doesn’t matter who takes the penalty as long as the team scores.”
Quotes via Goal.
See also: Liverpool vs Atalanta betting tips: Champions League preview, predictions & odds
Olympiacos vs Manchester City betting tips: Champions League preview, predictions & odds
This article was edited by Conor Laird.
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| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 11 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 11 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 11 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 10 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 8 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 8 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 7 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 7 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 7 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 6 |
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| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 6 |
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 6 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 5 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 5 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 6 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
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| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 4 |
| Kante, N`Golo | Chelsea FC | 0 | 5 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 0 | 4 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 4 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 0 | 4 |
| Tielemans, Youri | Leicester City FC | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 11 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 7 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 6 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 5 |
| Robertson, Andrew | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 5 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 4 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 4 |
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| Harrison, Jack | Leeds United | 4 |
| Chilwell, Benjamin | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 4 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 4 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 3 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 3 |
| Firmino, Roberto | Liverpool FC | 3 |
