Man Utd star shines brightly with a double, Portugal underlines the strength of the Euro championship candidate in a 4-2 victory over Finland in the absence of Ronaldo

In a friendly encounter before Euro 2024, Portugal defeats Finland 4-2 thanks to a double from Bruno Fernandes, who is still out due to injury.

* Diogo Jota 45’+4, Bruno Fernandes 55′ & 84′, Teemo Pukki 72′ & 77′, Ruben Dias 17′

Ronaldo had only recently returned to the team, therefore he was not present for the evening of June 4 friendly between Portugal and Finland. The 39-year-old striker had just participated in the King Cup final with Al Nassr Club, where they were defeated by Al Hial in a penalty shootout, five days prior.

Numerous rookies were included in the starting lineup by head coach Roberto Martinez. Joao Neves, a midfielder, and Francisco Conceicao, a right striker, both started the game. Rafael Leao plays left striker for Ronaldo, while Diogo Jota plays center.

Conceicao (red shirt) shined in Portugal’s 4-2 victory over Finland at Avalade Stadium, on the evening of June 4. Photo: Lusa

Portugal did not have much difficulty controlling the match against Finland. The home team kept the ball 74% of the time and finished 18 times, while the 61st FIFA team only finished twice. In the 17th minute, Portugal scored the first goal. Vitinha took a corner kick for Ruben Dias to head into the Finnish net.

In the following minutes, Leao and Conceicao continuously wobbled the opponent’s defense. Joao Cancelo, Nuno Mendes and Joao Neves also had a chance to shoot towards goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. Minute 45+4, Finland suffered a penalty for dragging people in the penalty area. Jota’s accurate shot doubled the gap for Portugal.

After the break, coach Martinez sent Bruno Fernandes onto the field. The Man Utd captain immediately shined with a goal to increase the score to 3-0 in the 56th minute. After Conceicao’s return pass from the penalty area, Fernandes curled outside the penalty area and put the ball into the top corner.

Bruno Fernandes left his mark with a double in the match between Portugal and Finland 4-2 at Avalade Stadium on the evening of June 4. Photo: Lusa

After leading three goals, the Portuguese defense suddenly let down their guard. They repeatedly encountered the offside trap in the 72nd and 76th minutes, allowing Teemu Pukki to shoot against Josa to shorten the gap for Finland.

Determined not to let the victory slip away, Portugal regrouped their squad. The home team quickly regained their position and shots. In the 84th minute, Conceicao assisted from the right wing for Fernandes to shoot into the near corner to seal a 4-2 victory.

The win over Finland was Portugal ‘s first friendly match this month. They also have friendly matches with Croatia on June 8, Republic of Ireland on June 11, before playing three Euro Group F matches with Czech Republic on June 18, Türkiye on June 22 and Georgia on June 26.