Report: United 4 Bournemouth 4

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

United enjoyed a dream start when Amad opened the scoring in the opening stages of the game. Antoine Semenyo brought Bournemouth back level, but Casemiro’s close-range header ensured the Reds were in front at half-time.

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.

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

FIRST HALF – FAST START REWARDED

An electric United start set the tone for a pulsating first half when Mbeumo’s backheel after being played in by Amad set up Fernandes for the shot. Bafode Diakite and Adrien Truffert got in the way, but the skipper wanted a penalty after the ball appeared to deflect onto the latter’s arm.

Sustained early pressure soon saw Mason Mount draw a good save from Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, powerfully wrapping his left foot around Mbeumo’s cutback. A cute side-foot from Casemiro aimed at the bottom corner was also blocked as chances kept coming.

United were rewarded for that strong start with Amad’s 13th-minute opener. Diogo Dalot’s teasing in-swinging cross from the left was met by a glancing Cunha header. Petrovic admirably kept out that initial effort, but the ball popped up gloriously for Amad to nod in just a few inches from goal. A quick VAR check confirmed our no.16 was crucially onside.

As the first half continued to progress, Amad, Cunha, Mbeumo and Fernandes in particular, were linking up really well and it took stellar defensive efforts from Bournemouth to keep the Reds at bay. Among the further sights of goal, Petrovic clutched a curling Mbeumo strike.

The Cherries threatened just before the half-hour mark when Tavernier’s header forced a point-blank save from Senne Lammens. It emboldened the visitors, but United went close to a second when Amad was denied by a last-gasp Adam Smith block after beating two defenders. Mbeumo’s flying left-footed volley from Cunha’s deep cross also only narrowly cleared the crossbar.

Semenyo’s equaliser came against the run of play. Three Bournemouth players put Mount under pressure to win the ball by our left touchline. From there, Semenyo drove towards the box and unleashed a low shot across goal that went in via the post.

Lammens then saved Tavernier’s deflected effort, which looked destined for the bottom corner, before Casemiro ensured that United took a lead into the break. After one header from the Brazilian was deflected wide, he was positioned to meet Fernandes’s deep corner, squeezing the ball between Petrovic and his post.

SECOND HALF - GOALS AT BOTH ENDS

Bournemouth’s second equaliser, coming quickly after the restart, stunned Old Trafford. The ball fell nicely to Tavernier and he in turn slipped in Evanilson between the centre-backs, the Brazilian supplying a low finish across goal.

Tavernier then put the away side ahead with a free-kick from just outside the penalty area. His low strike bypassed the wall on Lammens’s side of the goal, with the United stopper taking a fraction of a step to his left as the ball was struck, unable to shift his weight back to get down to his right in time.

Urged on by the crowd, United looked for a way to move back level and Cunha’s unorthodox cross-shot from the left was almost it. Put in by Mount down the left, our no.10 managed to dig the ball out from a narrow angle and Petrovic tipped it onto the bar and behind.

With just over 20 minutes to play, United appealed for a penalty when Cunha’s shot struck Alex Scott’s arm at close quarters, before Mbeumo fired the loose ball over. Petrovic could only punch a powerful 20-yard strike from Cunha, with Smith penalised for handball on the edge of the box as the Reds tried to keep the ball alive.

From the resultant free-kick, Old Trafford erupted as Fernandes stepped up and whipped a stunning effort into the top corner. Two minutes later, it got even louder as United took the lead back.

The move started and finished with Cunha. His header in midfield won the ball and allowed Mbeumo to play in Benjamin Sesko, off the bench after a recent injury. The striker’s initial cross was cut out but not cleared, allowing Cunha to nip in and finish past Petrovic. A little samba shuffle in front of the Stretford End was following by Matheus kissing the badge on his chest.

But Bournemouth then hit back again. An attack through the middle driven by Alex Jimenez presented Kroupi with a chance that he struck across goal, finding the bottom corner low to Lammens’s right.

The announcement of eight minutes of added time brought another huge roar from the stands. In an end-to-end finish, a swift counter saw Fernandes deliver a ball across the box that was agonisingly too far in front of Mbeumo to reach, while Lammens pulled off an excellent reflex save to keep out a header from Bournemouth substitute David Brooks.

The Belgian then more comfortably gathered another Cherries attempt from Marcos Senesi. United threatened one last surge of pressure in the dying moments, while Lammens again came up big to parry from Brooks and the points were shared.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Lammens; Yoro (Martinez 69), Heaven, Shaw (Dorgu 90+3); Amad, Casemiro (Mainoo 61), Fernandes (c), Dalot; Mbeumo (Zirkzee 90+3), Mount (Sesko 69); Cunha.

Substitutes not used: Bayindir, Fredricson, Malacia, Ugarte.

Goals: Amad 13, Casemiro 45+4, Fernandes 77, Cunha 79.

Booked: Dalot, Casemiro.

Bournemouth: Petrovic; Smith (c), Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Adams (Scott 5), Tavernier (Brooks 90+1); Jimenez, Kluivert (Hill 90+1), Semenyo; Evanilson (Kroupi 78).

Substitutes not used: Dennis, Soler, Adli, Araujo, Unal.

Goals: Semenyo 40, Evanilson 46, Tavernier 52, Kroupi 84.

Booked: Semenyo, Senesi, Smith.