Bruno Fernandes says Cristiano Ronaldo has the ‘SMELL’ for Champions League glory… but Man Utd must play as a team
BRUNO FERNANDES believes Cristiano Ronaldo is heaven scent for Manchester United to win the Champions League.
Fernandes claims his fellow Portugal superstar has ‘that smell for doing different things’ at the highest level.
Both men are fit and firing for Wednesday night’s last-16 first-leg at Atletico Madrid.
And midfielder Fernandes reckons strike legend Ronaldo, 37, has a Champions League aura that inspires team-mates and intimidates rivals.
Ron first won Europe’s top domestic competition the last time United triumphed, in 2007-8.
He then lifted the crown four times with Real Madrid but missed out his three years at Juventus before returning to Old Trafford in the summer.
Fernandes said: “Cristiano has won this competition many times.
“Everyone knows in this competition he has that smell for the goal, that smell for doing different things.
“In the same way we have Rapha [Raphael Varane], who has won the Champions League four times.”
But Fernandes argues that United will also be lifted by the fierce motivation of players yet to taste European glory.
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He said: “Sometimes it’s about someone who has more experience, but sometimes it’s about someone doing it for the first time, because they’re hungry to do something well.
“They want to show it. When Cristiano won the first one, he was probably not the most influential player, there were others who had more experience, but he helped the team anyway.
“It’s all about everyone sticking together, doing the same things, having the same focus.”
But in another nod to Ron, Fernandes added: ‘Having players that can decide games for us at any moment is always helpful.
“If that’s Cristiano or another one, the most important thing is winning the game and going through.”
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