United Beyond Manchester

Manchester United have been no stranger to drama in recent weeks, and a late goal from Rasmus Hojlund secured a point deep into stoppage time at Bournemouth.

See how the match played out and the major talking points from the match below.

Match Flow

Manchester United started brightly, carving out two promising chances within the first 15 minutes. Quick feet from Kobbie Mainoo (who looks like himself again) led to a shooting opportunity, but he struck the ball at Kepa after cutting back onto his right foot. The second chance came from Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentine created space for himself inside the box to shoot, but his effort flashed inches wide of the far post.

Not long after Garnacho’s miss, Bournemouth took the lead. A press from the hosts forced the Reds to turn the ball over far too easily and the ball eventually fell to Manchester United target Antoine Semenyo, who smashed the ball into the bottom corner.

Alejandro Garnacho had a chance to level in the 37th minute but was denied by Kepa. Bruno Fernandes played a stunning ball over the top that fell to Garnacho after a miscommunication at the back by Bournemouth. Unfortunately, Kepa was equal to Garnacho’s flick, and he pushed the ball away for a corner.

Despite leading in expected goals, shots, and possession, United went into the break down 1-0.

After back-and-forth play through the start of the second half, Manchester United were given a lifeline. An unfortunate slip from Evanilson caused the Brazilian to make a high tackle on Noussair Mazraoui, and after a brief VAR review, he was sent off.

With the man advantage, Manchester United pounded Bournemouth, but the hosts remained tough to break. However, deep into stoppage time, United finally found the leveler. 

In the 96th minute, Rasmus Hojlund redirected a flick from Manuel Ugarte, fooling Kepa and earning the Reds a point late on.

Talking Points

It wasn’t pretty, but Rasmus Hojlund grabbed a goal heading into the Europa League Semi-Final. Confidence and form can be funny things, and Hojlund’s goal, however scrappy it was, could be an important moment for him with important matches ahead.

Manchester United struggled mightily with Bournemouth’s press, especially in the first half. The Cherries’ first-half goal came from winning the ball wide and attacking quickly while United’s defenders were out of position.

Athletic Bilbao deploys a similar press with a high back line, meaning Amorim will need to prepare his team to move the ball quicker and provide options when working out of the back.

Next Match

Manchester United head to Bilbao on Thursday for the first leg of the Europa League Semi-Finals. A win puts the Reds on track to advance to the Final. A loss leaves Ruben Amorim’s team with it all to do at Old Trafford in the second leg.