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Bruno Fernandes, the Manchester United skipper, reaffirmed his importance to Portugal’s World Cup campaign in North America with a standout performance in a 2-1 friendly win over Chile at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon on Saturday evening. The match saw Rafael Leao sent off for a reckless red card and captain Cristiano Ronaldo struggle to make an impact.

Leao entered the contest after a difficult season with AC Milan, where both form and fitness had deserted him. He looked sharp initially, emerging as Portugal’s most threatening forward in the first half. However, in first-half stoppage time, he became embroiled in a needless altercation near the right touchline and was shown a straight red card for striking Ivan Ramon, who was also dismissed for his involvement in the clash.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez made several half-time changes, two of which combined to open the scoring. Ruben Neves delivered a superb through-ball for Goncalo Guedes, who had replaced Ronaldo, and the substitute finished neatly with the outside of his right boot after a perfect first touch.

Bruno Fernandes doubled Portugal’s lead soon after, striking expertly from outside the box following good work by Guedes and a clever lay-off from Francisco Conceicao. Chile managed to pull one back in injury time through Lucas Cepeda, whose low drive from 20 yards beat Rui Silva, but the hosts held firm to secure victory in their penultimate pre-World Cup friendly.

Here are the player ratings for Portugal from the Estadio Nacional clash:

Goalkeeper & Defence

Jose Sa (6/10):

Had very little to deal with before being substituted at half-time.

Nelson Semedo (6/10):

Defensively untroubled but contributed little in attack apart from one flashy moment.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

So untested at the back that he frequently joined the attack and almost scored with a header brilliantly saved by Lawrence Vigouroux.

Renato Veiga (6/10):

A solid outing from the young Villarreal centre-back before being replaced at the interval.

Joao Cancelo (7/10):

One of the livelier Portuguese players. His cross nearly led to a Dias goal, and he forced a fine save from Vigouroux with an acrobatic overhead attempt.

Midfield

Samu Costa (6/10):

The Mallorca midfielder was unspectacular but helped maintain control before being taken off at half-time.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

The Manchester City playmaker had a quiet outing — tidy in possession but lacking creativity before his withdrawal.

Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

The Manchester United captain was industrious and again demonstrated his value by scoring Portugal’s second with a precise long-range strike.

Attack

Francisco Conceicao (6/10):

Used his pace well to trouble defenders but often wasted the final ball. Still, he contributed to the build-up for the second goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo (5/10):

Set up Leao with a clever backheel but was largely ineffective. Missed his best scoring opportunity by drifting offside and was visibly frustrated when his replacement scored.

Rafael Leao (3/10):

Initially lively and even hit the post during one driving run, but his foolish red card overshadowed everything and further questioned his discipline.

Substitutes & Manager

Rui Silva (6/10):

Took over in goal at half-time and enjoyed a comfortable 45 minutes until conceding late on.

Goncalo Inacio (6/10):

Replaced Veiga and slotted seamlessly into the backline.

Ruben Neves (7/10):

Came on for Samu Costa and quickly made an impact with a brilliant assist for Guedes.

Diogo Dalot (6/10):

Subbed in for Semedo at right-back and performed steadily.

Goncalo Guedes (8/10):

Replaced Ronaldo and delivered an assured finish to give Portugal the lead. Also created a fine chance for Pedro Neto.

Pedro Neto (6/10):

Came on for Bernardo Silva and looked more dangerous than Conceicao on the flank.

Joao Felix (N/A):

Featured only in the final quarter of the game.

Tomas Araujo (N/A):

Introduced for the final few minutes of regulation time.

Roberto Martinez (7/10):

The Spanish manager would have been exasperated by Leao’s dismissal, especially as the winger had been showing promise after a poor season at San Siro. Ronaldo’s subdued performance remains a concern, but Martinez will take encouragement from Guedes’ lively display, proving he can be an effective option off the bench.