Fletcher is not a scorer, and he has never scored more than five goals in a season. However, he consistently contributes two or three goals each year, much like an unpredictable lottery ticket. Except for his first season with Manchester United's first team and the 2007-08 season when he was injured for a long time, the Scottish midfielder has scored in every league campaign, and he also shows persistence on the Champions League stage. Strangely, in the last four years, he has scored exactly one goal each season in the Champions League.
Last November, against Bursaspor, Fletcher secured Manchester United's 3-0 victory. A year later, it was his turn to shine again. In the 59th minute, after Manchester United's cross was cleared, Evra delivered a lobbed pass from the left flank. Fletcher made a run down the middle, initially deflecting the ball towards the goal, which was saved by the goalkeeper. The ball remained under Fletcher's control, allowing him to easily tap it into an empty net. Actually, Fletcher’s ability to score was partly due to the opposition. Benfica had just made a substitution, as Luizao was injured after colliding with Berbatov and had to leave the field. Miguel Vitor, who came on to mark Fletcher, hadn't settled into the game rhythm yet, resulting in Fletcher easily shaking him off.
Moreover, the opposing coach Jesualdo Ferreira firmly employed the offside trap tactic to disrupt Manchester United's through balls and over-the-top passes, causing the Red Devils to fall into offside nine times, leaving Ashley Young, who frequently makes forward runs, repeatedly looking at the assistant referee's flag in frustration. In this aspect, Fletcher, whose positioning was consistently deeper, keenly observed the situation. During this anti-offside play in the Champions League, he didn’t rush to sprint but instead suddenly paused, staying behind the opponents' all-out press line, then moved forward at the right moment, perfectly matching Evra's passing timing. It’s peculiar that while a midfielder could spot the defensive flaw, what were Berbatov, Nani, and Valencia doing?
Compared to Fletcher's right-footed long-range shot in the derby against Manchester City, this goal wasn't as aesthetically pleasing but held significant value, briefly helping Manchester United take the lead. Unfortunately, their defensive lapses nullified Fletcher's efforts, as neither of his two goals this season have helped the team secure a win. After the match, Fletcher expressed dissatisfaction: "These were two terrible goals we conceded. We conceded at bad moments, at the start of the game and just after taking the lead. Our conceding was unfortunate; Phil Jones struggled to deal with that particular defense, so did Ferdinand, both were positioned well, but the ball was too fast. Aimar's goal was a deflected shot, which is really disappointing."
Of course, failing to mark Aimar and Bruno Cesar meant Fletcher also had issues defensively, with only two successful tackles and three interceptions being insufficient: "Conceding those goals was a team responsibility. We created enough chances to score more and win this match, unfortunately we couldn't capitalize and paid the price. Benfica is an excellent team, we already experienced that in our away match against them, they've had a great season, performing very well in the league, and today they came prepared. We didn't imagine they would give up easily, it was a decent match."
Rare jeers rang out at Old Trafford, clearly protesting Manchester United's poor performance in their last three Champions League home games. Fletcher tried to reassure the media and fans post-match, believing that the initiative to qualify still lies within their grasp: "We are disappointed, falling from the top position in the group, and now the situation has become quite difficult. However, we still hold the initiative; if we get the desired result in the final match, we will qualify." Just as the Manchester United official website reminded the Scottish player, finishing second in the group might mean facing Real Madrid or Barcelona in the knockout stages...