November 29, (THEWILL) – Portugal defeated Uruguay 2-0 at Lusail Stadium to advance to the World Cup’s round of 16, with both goals coming from Bruno Fernandes.
The Manchester United midfielder opened the scoring in a scrappy Group H match when his cross, which was intended for Cristiano Ronaldo, nestled in the far corner in the 54th minute.
When it looked like that one goal would be all for the match, Fernandes not only sealed the points with a stoppage-time penalty but had another chance for a hat-trick, which he failed to convert. The two goals were enough to see Fernando Santos’ team join France and Brazil in securing their passage to the knockout stages with one game remaining.
It was sweet payback for the European team as Portugal was able to take their own pound of flesh for their 2-1 loss to Uruguay in the round of 16 in the 2018 World Cup in Russia with their victory.
In their final game, Portugal will only need a point against South Korea to take first place in the group. Uruguay still has a chance to go to the knockout stages, but they will need to defeat Ghana and hope South Korea loses.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
