Match report: United 0 Bournemouth 3

6 hours ago

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Sunday, December 22, 2024, at 4:00 PM.

Manchester United's last game before the Christmas break resulted in a frustrating loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

Dean Huijsen scored to put the Cherries ahead in the first half, and in a quick sequence in the second half, Justin Kluivert netted a penalty followed by Antoine Semenyo's goal, extending their lead.

Keeping the fast-paced schedule in focus, Ruben Amorim once again adjusted his team after the Carabao Cup quarter-final loss to Tottenham on Thursday night. He made six changes to the starting lineup, bringing back Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad, and Joshua Zirkzee.

Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth came to M16 on a high after securing victories in their last two away matches. The team made a single adjustment from their recent 1-1 draw against West Ham United, with Tyler Adams stepping into the midfield role, replacing Lewis Cook, who moved to the substitutes' bench.

Kobbie returned to the starting lineup for the first time since December 7, when they faced Nottingham Forest.

FIRST HALF - CHERRIES IN FRONT

Bournemouth began the match by controlling the ball well, but it was the Reds who had the first chance in the sixth minute. Amad took a low shot that tested Bournemouth's goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, after Mainoo's pass was unintentionally deflected into Amad's path by Cherries captain Adam Smith. At the other end of the field, Onana faced his first challenge when Semenyo struck with a left-footed shot from 20 yards out.

The match didn’t quite catch fire, as the chilly and windy weather in Manchester made things difficult for both teams. Bruno Fernandes, who netted two goals in our previous Premier League clash against Bournemouth, took a shot from 25 yards out. His curling strike forced a tough save from on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Arrizabalaga.

With the rain swirling once more around the Theatre of Dreams, the visitors took the lead in the 29th minute. Huijsen directed a header towards the far corner, capitalizing on a free-kick from Ryan Christie on the right side. This opportunity came after Malacia was controversially called for a foul on Smith near the sideline.

With the Cherries feeling confident, Onana had to make a low save after Evanilson controlled a pass with his chest and fired off a powerful shot.

As the half was coming to a close, the Reds intensified their attack on the opposing team. Fernandes nearly scored three times; he first sent a shot just past the post after receiving a cutback from Amad, then had a close call when Mainoo set him up but was thwarted by Arrizabalaga, and finally unleashed a strong strike that skimmed just beside the goal.

Amad skillfully maneuvered past the Cherries’ defenders to create an opening in the penalty area, but he mishit his shot, sending the ball wide of the far post. As a result, we went into the locker room trailing by a goal at halftime.

Bruno nearly scored an equalizer several times as the first half was winding down.

SECOND HALF - LOSS FOR UNITED

During the halftime break, Amorim made a substitution, bringing Leny Yoro on for Malacia. This led to Diogo Dalot shifting to the left wing-back position while Noussair Mazraoui took over on the right. In the early stages of the second half, Ruben also opted to bring in fresh players, introducing Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho in place of Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte.

The Reds posed a danger when Lewis Cook, who substituted for Smith at halftime, had to quickly react to clear the ball from inside the six-yard box after Amad’s corner created some trouble.

Bournemouth received a penalty roughly an hour into the match when Mazraoui was deemed to have fouled Kluivert. Kluivert then converted the penalty, outsmarting Onana and extending Bournemouth's lead.

Hojliund came on as a substitute and made a shot that required a save from Bournemouth's goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Things took a turn for the worse for the Reds just two minutes later, as Semenyo found the back of the net after tapping in Dango Ouattara's pass from close range.

The Reds' bench players had some promising chances to score. Hojlund set up Garnacho, who dashed through the center but ran into Arrizabalaga. However, our number 11 managed to draw a clever low save from the Cherries goalkeeper with a powerful shot.

As United kept pressing for answers, Amad found himself unmarked at the edge of the penalty area, ready to receive Fernandes’ pass. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get his shot on target. Shortly after, Hojlund pulled his shot just wide after making a strong run forward, and in the final moments, Amad forced a save from Arrizabalaga.

It turned out to be a day the Reds would rather not remember, but they'll be back in action on Boxing Day as they head to Molineux to take on Wolves (kick-off at 17:30 GMT). They’ll wrap up 2024 with a match against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on December 30 (kick-off at 20:00 GMT).

The Reds are eager to recover when they face Wolves in our upcoming match on Boxing Day.

United lineup: Onana in goal; a defense featuring Mazraoui, Maguire, and Martinez; Dalot and Ugarte (replaced by Garnacho in the 55th minute) in midfield, supported by Mainoo and Malacia (substituted by Yoro at halftime); Amad and team captain Fernandes up front; with Zirkzee making way for Hojlund in the 54th minute.

Unused substitutes: Bayindir, Evans, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, and Antony.

Bournemouth lineup: Arrizabalaga; Smith (captain) (Cook replaced him at 46 minutes), Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams (Hill came on at 89 minutes); Semenyo (Brooks substituted in at 89 minutes), Kluivert (Billing replaced him at 78 minutes), Ouattara; Evanilson (Enes Unal took his place at 71 minutes).

Unused substitutes: Travers, Aarons, Winterburn, Kinsey.

Goals scored: Huijsen at the 29th minute, Kluivert with a penalty at the 61st minute, and Semenyo in the 63rd minute.

This excerpt from a detailed piece in the matchday program on Sunday highlights our number 16's impressive performances lately.

Imagine Great Things: The Ticket Video