Fernandes and Ugarte score for nations

Manchester United midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte both scored to help their nations kick off the November international break in winning fashion last night.

— CONMEBOL.com (@CONMEBOL) November 16, 2024

In a game that kicked off at midnight UK time in Uruguay, Ugarte was named on the bench by former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa but introduced shortly after his nation had turned the contest on its head to lead 2-1, after Juan Fernando Quintero’s opener for Colombia.

A Davinson Sanchez own goal and a go-ahead effort from Rodrigo Aguirre on the hour mark looked to be steering them to victory before Andres Gomez’s 96th-minute equaliser for the away side.

But straight from the kick-off, with clock beyond the seven minutes that were initially added, Uruguay made a foray forward that saw former Red Facundo Pellistri knock the ball into the path of Ugarte, to strike a first-time effort into the net as he made his way into the penalty area.

Our midfielder’s attempt sparked dramatic celebrations inside the Estadio Centenario and earned his nation three points that takes them above Colombia into second place of the CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifying standings on goal difference, after the 11th of 18 match rounds, which will conclude with the top six securing a spot at the 2026 tournament finals.

Meanwhile, as new United head coach Ruben Amorim settles into life at Old Trafford, his Portuguese compatriots Fernandes and Diogo Dalot each played 90 minutes for their nation in Friday’s win.

Milan’s Rafael Leao broke the deadlock just before the hour mark for Portugal, before five goals were shared between the teams across an action-packed 16-minute spell in the second half.

Dalot’s shot striking the arm of Poland defender Jakub Kiwior inside the penalty area saw ex-Red Cristiano Ronaldo afforded the opportunity to make it 2-0 from the spot, before Fernandes’s 25-yard cracker off the underside of the bar – at the end of a driving run forward – extended the lead to three in the 80th minute.

Chelsea’s Pedro Neto made it four soon after, before teeing up Ronaldo for his second of the night – an impressive bicycle kick, which preceded Dominik Marczuk’s consolation goal for the visitors in Porto.

The result was enough to see Portugal secure progression to the quarter-finals of the Nations League, to be played across two legs in March, with a game to spare. That remaining group fixture is away to Croatia on Monday and will not involve Fernandes, who will serve a one-match suspension for picking up his second Nations League yellow card of the campaign in Friday’s victory.

Elsewhere in the Nations League last night, United duo Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund played 79 minutes of Denmark’s 2-1 defeat to Spain, which leaves them with a winner-takes-all clash against Serbia on Monday to progress to the quarter-finals.

Young Red James Scanlon was also involved for the majority of his country’s clash, as Gibraltar drew 1-1 with San Marino. Should the latter fail to beat Lichenstein on Monday, Scanlon and co will secure automatic promotion to League C of the competition.

Noussair Mazraoui was in action too on Friday, completing the entirety of Morocco’s 5-1 triumph over Gabon, in which they came from behind to maintain their 100 per cent record in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The Atlas Lions have already secured their place at the tournament, which starts a year in December, as the competition hosts.

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