Manchester United 0-3 AFC Bournemouth: result and report

The Pundit picked Manchester United (52%): wrong

Report

AFC Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford, and they deserved the margin even though Manchester United had far more of the ball. Marco Rose's side made the clear chances, while Michael Carrick's side never made one.

The match turned in a five-minute spell before half-time. Rayan opened the scoring on 38 minutes from Justin Kluivert's pass. Marcus Tavernier then made it 2-0 on 43 minutes after Adrien Truffert set him up.

Manchester United still had a full half to respond, but the next goal went the other way. Evanilson scored from Lewis Cook's pass on 71 minutes, and that ended the contest.

On volume, United did plenty. They had 63% of possession, ten shots to Bournemouth's eight and five on target to four. Yet none of that produced a big chance, while Bournemouth created six.

That is the story of the game. The quality, though, sat with the away side. They even missed three of those big chances, so the scoreline could have been heavier.

Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha, two of United's most-used attackers, began on the bench, though Bryan Mbeumo started. How much that mattered is hard to judge, because United's problem was the type of chance they made rather than the number of shots.

AFC Bournemouth's defending

James Hill was rated the best player on the pitch despite neither scoring nor assisting. That fits a game where Bournemouth's defending mattered as much as their finishing, because United kept arriving in dangerous areas without getting a clear sight of goal.

This was not one-way traffic, however. Sustained pressure was almost level across the match, and United produced the most intense single spell. Bournemouth simply did more with their moments.