Bruno Fernandes honours promise to Marcus Rashford in giving up penalty as he spurns chance...

[ASFN Admin]

Bruno Fernandes said he was honouring a promise to Marcus Rashford to take the next penalty after passing up an opportunity to claim his first Manchester United hat-trick. Fernandes had given United a 2-0 lead over Istanbul Basaksehir with his eighth and ninth goals of the season and seemed on the verge of claiming his third of the night when he stepped up to take a penalty in the 35th minute. But, despite hovering over the penalty spot with the ball in his hands, the Portugal midfielder suddenly elected to throw the ball to Rashford and stand aside to let the England striker take the spot-kick, which he duly dispatched to put United 3-0 in front and chalk up his fifth European goal of the campaign. And Fernandes later revealed that he had promised Rashford he would let him take the next penalty after his spot-kick success in Saturday’s 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion. “Every player wants to score a hat-trick but after the last Premier League game I told Rashy the next one you will take, and so I remembered that,” Fernandes said. “And I remembered that Rashy is one of the top scorers in the Champions League so I think it will be important for him to keep going there and to take that confidence. “It doesn’t matter who takes the penalties. The most important thing is scoring. The team scores so when the team scores, I score, too.”

Continue reading...