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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
David McDonnell

Bruno Fernandes sets two targets ahead of Man Utd's Europa League showdown

Bruno Fernandes has his sights set on a Europa League double with Manchester United.

Fernandes is currently the competition's top scorer with seven goals, ahead of United's semi-final meeting with Sevilla tomorrow.

The 25-year-old, whose January arrival from Sporting Lisbon transformed United's season, said lifting the trophy and ending as top scorer would be the perfect way to end the campaign.

"If it came with the Europa League trophy, it would be just perfect," said Fernandes.

"The most important thing is having the right mindset and a strong mentality.

"We need to understand that every game is a knockout match – if we don't win, we're out.

Bruno Fernandes and his team-mates are eyeing Europa League success (PA)

"Against Copenhagen we started a bit nervously, because we knew that we had to start really strong, since this match was about winning or being knocked out.

"Sevilla are a team that are used to this kind of European tournament and the latter stages.

"We know the start of the match is going to be very important because the first minutes are crucial. We need to be stronger at the start than we were against Copenhagen."

Paying tribute to United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Fernandes said: "The manager was very clear when I arrived at the club.

The Portuguese star is the competition's top scorer (Pool via Reuters)

"He told me to not be afraid, to just be myself, that he knew full well why he had sought me out, and what I was capable of doing - to continue to take risks in a match and maintain the same mentality that I had at Sporting; to keep giving instructions on the pitch.

"It helped a lot to have already played abroad, in Italy. I left Portugal at a young age, I had to make my mark in football by myself – against everything and everyone, as we say.

"That helped in the fact that today I’m a more grown up, more mature person, which makes settling in easier.

Premier League transfer plans

"Everybody at Manchester United has been amazing. I was lucky to play in my first league game, then we had the February Premier League break.

"United had a small break in Marbella where I got more sense of what the club’s ideas were, the coach’s ideas.

"I got to know my team-mates better. I'd seen them playing, but I became better aware of their qualities and found out what I could do to improve the team."

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