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#3 Paul Pogba outshone his Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes
Teammates at Manchester United and rivals on the international stage, Manchester United’s two marquee midfielders - Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes - did battle at the Estadio da Luz.
They were both tasked with being the creative hubs of their respective teams, and both were also seen to be pressing off the ball. At times, the duo ended up pressing each other due to the pair’s insistence on dropping deep to conduct play.
It was a fascinating encounter between two midfielders at opposite ends of the media coverage spectrum. In a surprising turn of events, it was Pogba who put in a better performance. The Frenchman maintained an 88% pass accuracy and won nine duels; in contrast, Fernandes completed only a measly 70% of his passes and won only three duels for Portugal.
#2 Antoine Griezmann shone against Portugal
Although he’s been enduring a torrid time at his club, Antoine Griezmann excelled in a false nine role against Portugal. Playing behind the quick duo of Kingsley Coman and Martial, Griezmann stationed himself in between the lines, acting as the link between attack and midfield.
He also dropped deep into midfield at times and found himself on the shoulder of the last defender to keep Portugal guessing. In an accomplished performance, the 29-year-old completed 87% of his passes, won five duels, created three chances and completed one dribble.
Maybe, it’s not Griezmann who needs to step up, maybe it’s Ronald Koeman who needs to learn how to best use the Frenchman.
#1 Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo drew a blank
At the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo seems to have set his sight on becoming the all-time top scorer in international football. He currently stands on 102 goals for his country, seven away from the record.
It only looks like a matter of time before he achieves the monumental feat, but against France, the 35-year-old drew a blank against a resilient Les Bleus defence.
Ronaldo, arguably the greatest player of all time, was restricted to just five shots, four of them being off target. He also struggled to find space, and his chances were constrained to snapshots of a low xG rating.
Portugal lost at home for the first time in 19 games, but one can be rest assured that Ronaldo and co. will be back.
