Manchester United’s Facundo Pellistri, along with the Uruguayan national team, secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Bolivia, virtually guaranteeing their spot in the Copa America quarterfinals.
The 15-time champions controlled the match with 18 shots compared to Bolivia’s four, nine of which were on target. They also dominated possession, holding 60% of the ball.
From a United perspective, Facundo Pellistri’s performance was the highlight. Despite uncertainty surrounding the 22-year-old’s future, displays like this might convince Erik ten Hag that the young winger has a role at Old Trafford.
Pellistri wreaked havoc on Bolivia’s left-back throughout the game, contributing a goal and an assist.
In today’s match against Bolivia, Facundo Pellistri notched a goal and an assist | Man Utd News
He opened the scoring in the eighth minute by cutting inside and finishing from close range after a delightful cross-field play allowed him to slot the ball home.
Though goal-scoring has not traditionally been a major aspect of his game, adding a goal in a friendly against Mexico and now one in the tournament suggests he is improving his finishing skills.
Pellistri also provided an assist in the 81st minute, setting up Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde for the fourth goal with a composed pass.
In his 86 minutes on the pitch, he earned a Sofascore rating of 7.6 and had 34 touches. He completed 18 out of 21 passes, achieving an 86% pass completion rate, with two of those being key passes, including his assist.
He posed a thrеat throughout the match, delivering three crosses, one of which connected. The Uruguayan missed another significant chance, which could have added to his goal tally.
One of his standout attributes is dribbling, where he succeeded in one out of four attempts.
Additionally, the Manchester United star was actively involved in duels, winning four out of 12.
The victory gives Uruguay six points from two matches, placing them atop Group C ahead of the USA and Panama, who each have three points.
La Celeste aims to secure their place in the next round with a match against the USA on Monday (Tuesday morning UK time), where Pellistri will look to maintain his impressive form.
If United does not acquire another winger, Erik ten Hag might be cоmpelled to consider Pellistri for a starting role due to his exceptional performances for Uruguay, which would benefit the club.
However, such standout displays in high-profile tournaments like Copa America could also increase his market value, should United decide to sell him.