As Portugal cruises past Bosnia, Fernandes scores twice
In a 3-0 home victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday, Bruno Fernandes scored twice and Bernardo Silva also scored to give Portugal its third straight victory in their bid to qualify for the 2024 European Championship.
With nine points, Roberto Martinez’s team leads Group J and will take on Iceland on Tuesday hoping for their fourth straight win. Fourth-place Bosnia, with three points, will host Luxembourg next.
Silva chipped in from Fernandes’ feed just before halftime to score his 11th international goal, despite Portugal controlling possession.
In the 77th minute, Fernandes added to the advantage with a spectacular header from Ruben Neves’s cross before securing the victory in stoppage time with a strong volley to reach 15 goals for his country.
“I used to be fresh, but I’m not anymore. I’ll rest afterwards, but I always want to play hard and give it my all. After his 69th game of the season, the Manchester United midfielder said to Sport TV, “I don’t want to think about getting fatigued.
“It was a fantastic victory. These are challenging games, and we had to make them simple, which we did.
“I’m happy that I scored, but getting the three points was more crucial. To compete in the European Championship is our goal.
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Martinez, a pleased coach, also mentioned how worn out his players are as the season comes to a close.
“Today’s stage game was typical for June, with mental exhaustion. The players were in excellent physical condition, and it was a challenging game against a side with very defined goals, according to the Spanish coach.
“To learn, to grow, and to play as a team, we must be together. Such games are essential to our continued growth. We must savour the triumph… Then we’ll consider Iceland.
