Man United star Bruno Fernandes hails Raphinha on social media after Barcelona thrash Newcastle
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Credit: Imago Thu 19 March 2026 14:05, UK Manchester United captain and star midfielder Bruno Fernandes took to social media to praise Barcelona winger Raphinha after his staggering performance on Wednesday.The winger scored twice and assisted twice in a 7-2 victory over Newcastle United as the La Liga champions progressed to the quarter-final of the Champions League.Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Marc Bernal and Robert Lewandowski also appeared on the scoresheet, ultimately rendering Anthony Elanga’s first-half brace meaningless.Raphinha and Fernandes spent the 2018-19 season together at Sporting CP, before the winger moved on to Stade Rennais in the summer.Fernandes’ stunning performances have been key to the turnaround in Man United’s form under interim manager Michael Carrick since the turn of the year. ⚽ Man United Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Manchester United fixture. VISIT THE MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Bruno Fernandes messages RaphinhaFormer chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider on Thursday that Man United are doing everything to keep Fernandes, but there remains some slight doubt over his future.Barcelona would certainly be among the interested clubs if the midfielder does decide to leave, and it would be hard to blame him for wanting to play with the likes of Raphinha.Raphinhavs Newcastle UnitedMinutes played90Goals/Assists4Chances created5Penalties won1Shots on target5Duels won4/6The 29-year-old has enjoyed an extraordinary couple of years at Barcelona, well and truly finding his feet after his 2022 move from Leeds United.The Brazil international was named fifth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, and can be considered hard done by after he finished the season with an incredible 34 goals and 22 assists across all competitions.Raphinha has continued to excel this season, scoring 19 goals and providing seven assists in just 30 appearances after suffering a hamstring injury in September.After his stunning performance against Newcastle on Wednesday, Fernandes took to Instagram to post his picture with a fire emoji, clapping hands and a crown.
Premier League history awaits FernandesIt is fair to say Fernandes has enjoyed a stunning season of his own, with eight matches standing between him and history. The midfielder’s brace of assists took his Premier League tally up to 16 on Sunday, beating David Beckham’s record for Man United players.But his eyes will be set on a different record, and one that he could quite easily smash to pieces.Thierry Henry’s 20 assists in the 2002-03 season remain the Premier League’s assist record, with Kevin De Bruyne only managing to equal it.Should Fernandes get just four more assists in the final eight league games, he will match it as well, but considering that he has four in his last three appearances, he will be confident of setting a new standard.
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