United Review | Bournemouth at home

United 4 - 4 Bournemouth 

A final outing at Old Trafford before Christmas that swung back and forth for almost 100 minutes.

Author | Lee Francis

Leny Yoro returned to the defence for this one, in place of Noussair Mazraoui ahead of his involvement with Morocco at AFCON. Amad and Bryan Mbeumo both started before soon linking up with their respective countries at the upcoming tournament.

Ruben Amorim would have been delighted after we enjoyed a dream start. Amad opened the scoring in the opening stages of the game. Antoine Semenyo brought Bournemouth back level. However, Casemiro’s close-range header ensured the Reds were in front at half-time.

United corner

An end to end second-half

Two quickfire Bournemouth goals straight after the restart from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier turned the game on its head. But United responded with two more, one after the other, from Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha in front of the Stretford End. At this point, the atmosphere Old Trafford was amazing but it wouldn't last. 

We couldn't hold out for the three points

But an eighth goal of the night, scored by Cherries substitute Junior Kroupi, meant that the often breathless contest ultimately finished even.

A formation and tactical change 

Rarely has any tactical shape at Old Trafford been picked over quite like Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1.

The former Sporting boss has stuck to it through thick and thin, pointing to the success it brought him in Portugal and once joking that not even the Pope could talk him out of it. In recent weeks, though, the stance has softened. Amorim has spoken about adapting if the moment demanded it.

This felt like that moment. There was no full-scale abandonment of principles until the final 20 minutes, when Lisandro Martínez was introduced and Diogo Dalot slid across to right-back, but the early tweaks were telling. Amad was given more freedom, tracking back less frequently, and when he did drop deep the Ivorian drifted inside alongside Leny Yoro rather than hugging the touchline. Like Bryan Mbeumo, and unlike Noussair Mazraoui, he was trusted to play despite the looming Africa Cup of Nations.

Amad repaid that faith with a close-range header, before Casemiro’s harmless shot was somehow turned into his own net by Djordje Petrović. The response from the Stretford End at the interval was as loud and optimistic as anything we have heard this season.

Few inside the ground had any idea what was about to come next.