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Portuguese Abroad goals round-up: Fernandes the matchwinner; Bernardo ignites City comeback; Leão off the mark in Italy; Neves golaço; Tavares strikes again for Marseille; Beto, Carvalho, Jota on target

Portuguese Abroad

It was a busy weekend for Portuguese goalscorers across Europe, with a particular emphasis on exploits in the English Premier League. Bruno Fernandes scored the winner for Manchester United against Southampton to kick off the action in England, before Bernardo Silva once again inspired a Manchester City comeback, while Fábio Carvalho got off the mark for Liverpool and Ruben Neves scored another golaço for Wolves.

Elsewhere, Rafael Leão got his first goal of the season for AC Milan in Italy, where Beto also opened his account at Udinese. Nuno Tavares continues to surprise with his goalscoring in France with Marseille and there was another goal for the increasingly consistent Jota for Scottish champions Celtic.

Bruno Fernandes the hero for United

Manchester United kicked off the Premier League fixtures this weekend with a 1-0 lunchtime victory at Southampton, courtesy of Bruno Fernandes’ winner. United came into the match having boosted their season with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Monday, and boss Erik ten Hag opted to name an unchanged line-up, with Cristiano Ronaldo again forced to settle for a place on the bench.

The crucial moment in the match arrived early in the second half through United’s Portuguese connection. Diogo Dalot followed up his improved showing against Liverpool with another promising display at St Mary’s Stadium and it was the former Porto right-back who provided the cross from which Fernandes dispatched a superb volley into the bottom corner. Ronaldo was introduced midway through the second half as United secured the win to move up to 8th in the table.

“An amazing cross from Diogo,” Fernandes told MUTV after the game. “But obviously I think the run from Jadon, inside to the goal, made me have that space to the cutback, so well done from everyone.

“As I said, if we do our job of the runs when we have to do them, in the right timings, it doesn't matter who, we create space for each other and at the end we get the goals.

“We have to carry on this spirit and this sacrifice that we’ve had in the last two games. We have to carry on for the rest of the season. This is what this club demands. All the players know that and I think after Liverpool, everyone could feel it.

“We said it today before the game. We set the standard, so we have to carry on now and if we can, improve it. We won, we’re really happy and if it’s away or if it’s at home, we want to win every game. That’s what it’s about to play for Manchester United.”

Guardiola salutes Bernardo after City comeback

For the second time in a week, Manchester City came from two goals down to earn points in the Premier League; for the second time in a week Bernardo Silva was the man responsible for inspiring the comeback. Last Sunday saw the champions rescue a draw at Newcastle having been 3-1 down, but on Saturday City completed the fightback by winning 4-2 against Crystal Palace at home.

Bernardo’s goal instigated the revival at Newcastle and while Erling Haaland took much of the praise on Saturday for scoring a hat-trick, it was Bernardo who halved the deficit with his 50th City goal early in the second half.

After the match, City boss Pep Guardiola, who recently confirmed Bernardo will stay with the club, insisted his Portuguese should get appropriate credit for his role in the victory. “I am happy that today Bernardo became a winning player,” Guardiola said. “Of course all the highlights will be for Erling but we cannot forget what Bernardo has done again today, scoring the goal and creating on the right side in the second half.

“What I am amazed about Bernardo is when the game is going wrong he always steps forward. He loves to play in the games when the situation is uncomfortable. Few players make a step backwards and he makes a step forward and that is why Bernardo is irreplaceable for many things for us.”

Pioli asks for further growth from Leão after goalscoring display

Rafael Leão showed little sign of being distracted by transfer rumours as he scored his first goal of the season to help AC Milan to a 2-0 win over Bologna in Serie A. Leão put Milan ahead after twenty minutes with a cool finish, before providing the floated cross assist for Olivier Giroud to double the advantage with a super volley.

Milan manager Stefano Pioli spoke about the Portuguese forward after the match, telling reporters: “Someone with such potential must keep thinking he can improve day by day. Rafa has the right attitude in training and during the match, he is a very intelligent lad.

“I think his body language can let him down sometimes, but he must keep trying to get stronger and stronger. One of the steps he still needs to make is that at times he drifts out of the game and instead he has to be constantly on his toes.”

Leão has recently been linked with a possible move to English club Chelsea, who are reportedly prepared to pay up to €120m for the former Sporting man before the close of the window later this week.

Related article: “Hopefully the first of many” – Fábio Carvalho opens Liverpool account [video]

Neves hits golaço in Wolves draw

Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers were denied victory by a 90th minute Newcastle equaliser at Molineux, just as Rúben Neves stunning strike looked like settling the contest. Wolves, who started with seven Portuguese in their line-up, led through Neves’ first-half goal, but Allan Saint-Maximin struck with a brilliant volley to deny the home side.

Neves, who was recently appointed club captain, scored in the 38th minute when he collected a pass from Gonçalo Guedes and fired into the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area. Wolves thought they had clinched the game with a second after the break but Pedro Neto was adjudged to have fouled Ryan Fraser ahead of supplying Raul Jimenez for a tap-in.

Wolves had to settle for a point after Saint-Maximin’s strike and remain without a win from their opening four matches. However, manager Lage saw positives from his side’s performance when discussing the result after the final whistle. “I think we did a good game, the way we started the game, the way we went to press,” Lage began. “The good signs were there. First-half I think we controlled everything.

“After, there’s a little bit of frustration of course, the way they scored the goal at the end of the game. Today, to be honest, we deserved the three points. It’s hard when I go inside and see the frustration of my players. It was an easy chance for them to score a goal. A lucky chance in my opinion. Two decisions with VAR, every time it was against us – two little things which bring frustration, but it’s just one point.

“More important is the way we work and the way we play. We know we’re playing against a strong team, we can see the kind of game they did against Man City. We played also very strong, with a big ambition. We scored, we controlled the game, and after the ball is in the corner, you try to put the ball in front, and concede a chance in front of our box. This is football, he scored.

“Nélson was brave, Raul was brave, Guedes was brave, and these guys just arrived. Now, we continue to work, the only thing we can control. One more time, I saw my team with a big ambition to play. Now recover and in three days we have another game. The time is to look forward, see the good things we did.”

Tavares keeps scoring in France

Nuno Tavares has now scored a remarkable three goals in four matches in Ligue 1 since joining Marseille last month. The former Benfica and Arsenal defender added to his surprising flurry of goals with Marseille’s second in their impressive 3-0 away win at Nice on Sunday, which sees them level on points with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the standings.

Tavares’ fourth goal for the club was scored with his right foot on this occasion, beating Nice goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel with an accurate low shot which clipped the inside of the post on its way into the net. Tavares then proved decisive in his side’s third goal as another run into the final third resulted in his shot parried by Schmeichel into the path of Alexis Sanches, who scored his second of the day.

The 22-year-old has been deployed as a left wing-back in coach Igor Tudor’s 3-4-2-1 system, where he has ranked as the team’s most consistent dribbler as well as scoring three goals. Tavares is only the second defender in Marseille’s history to score three goals in their first four matches, equalling Laurent Blanc’s record set 25 years ago at the start of the 1997-98 season.

The rest: Beto off the mark, Jota scores again, Djaló goal helps Lille bounce back

Beto has his first goal of the new Serie A season with Udinese, as he looks to replicate the form which saw him emerge as one of Italian football’s surprise packages last term. The former Portimonense man struck 11 times in the top flight last year and his close-range finish on Friday night set Udinese on their way to a 2-1 win at newly-promoted Monza.

Paulo Fonseca’s Lille showed no signs of damaged confidence in France following last weekend’s 7-1 defeat to PSG, with Tiago Djaló on target as they secured a 3-1 win at Ajaccio. The former Sporting defender, who partnered José Fonte in the heart of Fonseca’s side, scored the visitors’ third goal with a brilliant right-footed volley in the second half. In Ligue 2, Xande Silva got his second goal in two games to help Dijon to a 2-1 win at Metz.

In Scotland, champions Celtic hammered Dundee United 9-0 away from home and inevitably Jota was on the scoresheet, tapping in from close range just before the break in what was the Hoops’ biggest ever away victory. Meanwhile in the Polish Ekstraklasa, former Belenenses midfielder Afonso Sousa scored the winner for Lech Poznan as they ran out 1-0 winners over Piast Gliwice.

Former Portugal international Kévin Rodrigues struck the winner for Turkish side Adana Demirspor, who won 1-0 against Umraniyespor in the Super Lig. In the second tier, veteran striker Marco Paixão scored but could not prevent Altay from suffering a 3-1 home reverse against Ankara Keçiörengücü which leaves them bottom of the table.

Finally, in Cyprus former Amarante midfielder Miguelito scored the winner for Nea Salamis at Karmiotissa to earn a 2-1 victory; Hugo Firmino’s goal helped Ararat-Armenia to a 3-0 triumph over Shirak in the Armenian Premier League; Leonardo Rocha scored twice in Lierse K’s 3-2 win at Beerschot in the Belgian second tier; Aldair Ferreira was among the goals as Džiugas Telšiai lost 3-2 at Panevezys in Lithuania.

By Sean Gillen

@SeanGillen9

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