PAULO BERNARDO continued his excellent form with the breakthrough strike as he captained Portugal Under-21s to a 2-0 win in Croatia last night.
The Celtic midfielder, who played well for 62 minutes of the 3-0 derby win over Philippe Clement’s side at Parkhead, claimed the crucial goal five minutes after the interval to propel his nation to three points in the Group G qualifier.
Carlos Borges, a second-half substitute for Ibrox loan flop Fabio Silva, made certain with a killer second in the fading moments.
HE WENT THATAWAY…Paulo Bernardo swerves past the challenge of a Croatian defender.
Bernardo faces tough competition at the champions for a first-team place following the £11million arrival of the club’s record buy Arne Engels who replaced him in the victory over the Govan outfit.
However, the £3.5million recruit from Benfica in the summer staked an impressive claim for a starting place in the Premiership match against Hearts in the east end of Glasgow on Saturday.
The smooth playmaker, who convinced Brendan Rodgers to make his move permanent after his season-long loan spell last season, was delighted to continue his good form with the Portuguese Under-21s completing the double over the nation they hammered 5-1 at home in March.
Bernardo said: “It was a difficult game. Croatia have a good team and it is was more complicated than in Portugal. The pitch was in poor condition, but we came out on top and were deserved winners.
JOY BHOYS…Paulo Bernardo leaps from the substitutes’ bench to hail Callum McGregor’s goal in the 3-0 derby victory at Parkhead.
“We had a bit more quality in the final pass in the second-half when we were already doing things well. In the first-half, we lacked definition in the final third, but we managed to bring that after half-time.”
Brenardo, speaking to Portuguese media outlet Record, added: “We had a good week of training, we worked well on our dynamics and brought them to the field.
“The second goal was also a great play, not just the first. I’m here to give my best, the coach believes in me when he puts me in to play and I try to give the best response.”
Long may that continue for club and country, Paulo!
