Preview: United v Bournemouth
Manchester United’s second game of the Premier League Summer Series sees us take on Bournemouth in Chicago.
Our meeting with Andoni Iraola’s side is due to take place at Soldier Field at 02:30 BST on Thursday 31 July, where we'll look to build on our 2-1 win over West Ham in the opening game of the competition courtesy of a Bruno Fernandes brace.
Here, we’ve got all the details you need to follow the action…
HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW
For all our Summer Series games, including the Bournemouth match, we’ll be bringing subscribers the action live on MUTV via our dedicated TV channel, on ManUtd.com and through the United App, except for fans in the US due to rights issues.
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OPPOSITION WATCH
Bournemouth experienced a positive 2024/25 campaign under Iraola, finishing ninth, their highest position for eight years, when Eddie Howe achieved the same in the 2016/17 season.
They inflicted a damaging 3-0 defeat on the Reds at Old Trafford in December, with Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo getting their names on the scoresheet.
The latter of that trio looked to have sealed another win for the Cherries in the return clash in April, before Rasmus Hojlund stepped in with a stoppage-time leveller to rescue a point. It was an important contribution from the Dane, but there will be scores to settle in Chicago.
Much like United, the Cherries got off to a good start in the Summer Series, sealing a 3-0 win against Everton with goals from Philip Billing, Dango Ouattara and Daniel Adu-Adjei, so our meeting in Chicago should be a competitive affair.
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TRANSFER BUSINESS SO FAR
One of the most exciting parts about pre-season is catching a glimpse of a club's latest recruit turning out for their new side.
For the Cherries, all eyes will be on Adrien Truffert, a left-back signed from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes, and ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic who joined the squad earlier this month, both turning out for the first time against the Toffees.
Perhaps even more pressing for the south-coast side is how they'll cope without one of their departed players, Huijsen, who played a key role in the side's defence last season but has since transferred to Real Madrid. Kepa Arrizabalaga has also moved on, joining Arsenal from Chelsea after his season-long loan at the Vitality Stadium, and Milos Kerkez has now signed for Liverpool.
For the Reds, we'll be eagerly anticipating another glimpse of Matheus Cunha in a red shirt, having signed the Brazilian from Wolverhampton Wanderers early in the window and watched him in our first two pre-season games against Leeds United and West Ham, with the same being true of Diego Leon.
Bryan Mbeumo is the other name on everyone's lips, following his recent signing from Brentford, as he still awaits his United debut. The Cameroon international is with the squad Stateside, but Amorim opted against adding him to the squad for our first US encounter as his move means he is earlier in his pre-season preparations. The head coach is set to make the same call against Bournemouth, eyeing a first outing in the final game of the Summer Series against Everton instead.
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THE VENUE
Having opened our Summer Series campaign at the MetLife Stadium last weekend, we'll head to Chicago's Soldier Field for this clash against the Cherries.
It's our first visit to the venue, and indeed Chicago itself, for a decade, when the Reds met Paris Saint-Germain on the same pitch in 2015, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat after conceding goals to Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in front of a 61,000-strong crowd.
The stadium is home to NFL side Chicago Bears and MLS outfit Chicago Fire, but has played host to numerous sports throughout its history.
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HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE SUMMER SERIES WORKS
Bournemouth are the second of three opponents we'll face in the Premier League Summer Series, bookended by games against West Ham and Everton.
The four sides will travel together to each of the three venues with two games happening on the same day, in the same stadium.
As with the regular Premier League, each side will be awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and nothing for a loss.
At the end of the three games the team with the highest points will win the series. If two or more sides have the same points, they'll be separated first by goal difference, then by goals scored and, finally, on a head-to-head basis. There will be no extra-time or penalty shootouts in any of the matches.