Fred has been an unsung hero at Manchester United in recent weeks, and while he is capable of chucking in a bad game mixed in with the good ones, he saved an excellent performance for when it mattered most.
The Brazil midfielder was everywhere in the second half for United against Barcelona as the Red Devils secured a memorable 2-1 win.
Fred scored United’s equaliser, and was voted man of the match by supporters. It was well deserved, and it’s important he gets a bit of credit.
He now has five goals for the season, a personal best, plus four assists to his name.
Fred sends message
Fred sent a message on Instagram after the game, reflecting on a memorable evening at Old Trafford, hailing the ‘incredible energy’ and describing it as a ‘magical night’.
His performance prompted an encouraging message from Donny van de Beek, who has kept a low profile on social media as he recovers from his season ending injury.
Nights like last night must really be painful for Van de Beek to miss out on. While fair to argue he would not have been a starter, it is much better to be amongst the squad and in the dressing room, rather than simply watching from a corporate suite or at home.
Fred is making the most of it. He may only have been starting this game due to an injury to Christian Eriksen, and there was plenty of debate beforehand, whether he was the best man for the job.
He proved Erik ten Hag got it right against Barcelona, and is on course to follow up with a start at Wembley on Sunday in the Carabao Cup final.