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Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has revealed that he passed up the opportunity to score a UEFA Champions League hat-trick to help the confidence of team-mate Marcus Rashford.
The Red Devils star put in another stellar performance on Tuesday night, scoring two goals in Manchester United's 4-1 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir at Old Trafford. Fernandes had the chance to score a hat-trick after United won a penalty in the first half, but it was Rashford who stepped up and put away the spot-kick.
The Portuguese star has been the club's designated penalty taker since joining Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020. Fernandes, however, decided to hand the ball to his team-mate against Istanbul Basaksehir.
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The 26-year-old has been instrumental in Manchester United's recent run of form and has been involved in 34 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, which is an astonishing record for a midfielder.
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes says he gave up the penalty to Marcus Rashford to help maintain his confidence
Fernandes had the chance to further improve his goal tally for Manchester United but revealed that he had no qualms in letting Rashford take the spot-kick.
"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," Fernandes told BT Sport post-match.
"It doesn't matter who takes the penalty as long as the team scores."
Manchester United took just seven minutes to break the deadlock and did so in exhilarating fashion, as Fernandes smashed a half-volley in off the cross-bar from just outside the box after Basaksehir partially cleared a corner.
He was in the right place at the right time 12 minutes later, as he tapped the ball in from close range after Basaksehir goalkeeper Fehmi Mert Gunok spilled a routine cross.
Rashford's spot-kick and Daniel James' late strike helped Manchester United put the finishing touches to a solid performance at home. The Red Devils now top Group H in the Champions League, having won three games out of four.
Manchester United need to secure a positive result against Paris Saint-Germain to confirm their qualification to the knockout stages of the competition.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping Fernandes continues his stellar form domestically, as Manchester United look to get their faltering league campaign back on track.
