With the majority of Manchester City's players playing at a later date, only Bernardo Silva was representing the Blues this evening as his Portgual side faced off against Turkey in a crucial World Cup qualifying play-off. The former European champions made tough work of Stefan Kuntz's side but advanced into the final after a 3-1 win.
Portugal 3-1 Turkey
Despite City having a world-class Portuguese trio, only Silva played tonight. Ruben Dias missed out on the squad entirely through injury, and Joao Cancelo faced a suspension due to accumulated yellow cards.
City's No.20 started in a midfield three alongside Joao Moutinho and Bruno Fernandes and played the full 90 minutes. The 27-year-old struck the post in the 14th minute, and the rebound was slotted in by Otavio for the Portuguese opener.
Portugal took a 2-0 lead going into the break but came close to blowing their lead when Burak Yilmaz scored 20 minutes into the second and then missed a penalty five minutes from the end.
Moments from the end, Sporting midfielder and rumoured City target Matheus Nunes sealed the victory for Fernando Santos' side, who will play North Macedonia on March 29 for a place in Qatar after Italy suffered a shock late defeat at the hands of the North Macedonians.
Written by: @TomCayless_
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