Bruno Fernandes claims Portugal failed to make best use of 2 of his teammates’ strengths during 1-0 loss against Denmark

Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes has opened up on his side's 1-0 loss against Denmark in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals (March 20). The Manchester United skipper felt that Roberto Martinez's side failed to utilize the strengths of their two wide attackers.

Fernandes insisted that Portugal did not show enough aggression with the ball. The 30-year-old pointed out that Denmark left plenty of space on the flanks for them to exploit as they pressed high up the pitch.

The Red Devils' captain believes Pedro Neto and Rafael Leao's pace could have been useful but Portugal failed to make the most of it. The attacking midfielder said, as quoted by Portuguese outlet Ojogo:

"I think it was a bit of a lack of aggression. We didn't make the most of the space that Denmark left us in behind. Because we want to have the ball, we want to play, sometimes we end up making the mistake of playing too much and not taking advantage of the speed of Pedro Neto and Rafael Leao, one on one, up front."

Fernandes added:

"When we play against teams that want to press us man to man and we have two players like Pedro Neto and Rafael Leao, we have to exploit their speed."

Fernandes' Manchester United teammate Rasmus Hojlund made the difference for Denmark after being introduced from the bench. The 22-year-old came on in the 69th minute and scored the only goal of the game in the 78th minute to secure a huge win against Portugal.

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Pundit urges Bruno Fernandes to leave Manchester United

Former Premier League winger Joe Cole has urged Bruno Fernades to leave Manchester United. Cole insisted that the Portugal international has been let down by his teammates and should look to win trophies. The former Chelsea star told Paddy Power, as quoted by The Daily Mail:

"If I'm Bruno Fernandes, I'd absolutely be looking for a move away from Manchester United. He's the first butterfly and he's getting all the arrows from everyone. He must go home at night and wonder why everyone is digging him out when he's the only one pulling his weight in this team."

The ex-Liverpool and England star added:

"There are others doing okay but he is literally dragging that club through this dire moment. When all is said and done and Bruno leaves United and maybe they return to the top, they'll look back at this era and the only shining light will be Bruno Fernandes. He's a fantastic footballer and you could put him into most teams, and he'd thrive, but I don't think he's won a league in his career and he needs to go and prove to himself that he can play in a top side because he's run his race at Manchester United."

Cole concluded:

"He should leave that club with everyone; the owners, fans and the manager giving him his flowers because he gets all the stick. And that's part and parcel of being a Manchester United footballer but how must he feel when he's getting all the pelters despite being the one with the goals, assists and driving the team forwards. He's a fabulous player and if I was him, I'd be looking to go and play in a team capable of winning trophies."

Fernandes has been Manchester United's best signing in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era by some distance. Despite his team's struggles, the Portugal international has been one of the best players in the Premier League on a consistent basis.

He joined the Red Devils in January 2020 in a deal worth reported £67.6 million and has been the club captain since 2023. Fernandes has scored 95 goals and provided 81 assists in 277 games for Manchester United so far.