Bruno Fernandes endured a difficult game as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 at the World Cup, playing just over 60 minutes. The Manchester United captain has struggled to replicate his club form on the international stage.
Fernandes' Record-Breaking Season at United
Fernandes was unquestionably United's main man last season. He made history by registering 21 assists in 35 Premier League games, eclipsing the previous record jointly held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. In the top flight, he averaged an assist every 1.24 games for United.
World Cup Struggles
However, at the World Cup, Fernandes has just one assist in four matches, setting up Cristiano Ronaldo in a rout over Uzbekistan. Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez told The Athletic prior to the tournament: "In the three years that I’ve been here in the national team, his [Fernandes'] consistency levels have been incredible. Everything that he does in the final third has been of the highest level."
Yet Portugal are not getting the best out of Fernandes in the final third. In his past two matches, the 31-year-old had 56 and 46 touches against Colombia and Croatia respectively. This is sharply down on his final few matches for United last season, where he had 69 against Sunderland, 87 at home to Nottingham Forest, and 63 away at Brighton.
Heat Maps Reveal Deeper Positioning
FotMob's heat maps show Fernandes is dropping deeper for his country. Against Croatia, there is a strong concentration of touches inside his own half as he searches for the ball. Compare this to the game against Nottingham Forest when he had nearly double the number of touches, with his focus mainly in the opposition half, just on the edge of the box where he can do the most damage.
While Martinez has not dropped Fernandes back into holding midfield like Ruben Amorim did, the attacking midfielder is playing more centrally to get involved. As United fans know, this is not how to get the best out of him.
Frustration and Tactical Shifts
This move seems born out of frustration. For United, Fernandes is the main creative channel; attacking play goes through him, and he relishes that responsibility. On the international stage, it is a different story. Against Croatia, Portugal forced play down the left flank with Rafael Leao having 72 touches. This tactic worked when Leao produced a magnificent cross for Goncalo Ramos' winner, but it also saw Fernandes alter his game, drifting more to the left instead of his preferred right side at United.
Take the win over Crystal Palace when Fernandes scored one and assisted another. His heat map shows him mainly on the right, with his sensational cross for Benjamin Sesko's winner coming from that pocket on the right of the area.
Still a Threat Despite Struggles
But it is not all doom and gloom. When the ball comes to him, Fernandes is proving to be one of the strongest midfielders at the World Cup. CIES Football Observatory found that Fernandes leads the way for the most short, penetrative passes per 90 minutes. These defence-splitting balls cause issues for opponents, but he is not being used as much as other stars.
Martinez has a hard task balancing his star men. Against Croatia, focusing on other routes like Leao worked. However, with Spain to come in the round of 16, Martinez would be wise to look at a strategy that suits Fernandes. Luis de la Fuente's team have yet to concede at this World Cup, and if you want one man to unlock a strong defence, you would choose the United captain.
