United has enough with Casemiro’s half bicycle kick and awaits the result of Liverpool


Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 5:50 PM• Noel Korteweg • Last update: 18:05

Manchester United put itself on match point on Saturday afternoon in terms of qualifying for the Champions League. Manager Erik ten Hag’s team was 0-1 too strong for AFC Bournemouth, but a late goal from Liverpool at home against Aston Villa (1-1) postponed the Red Devils’ party for a few days. United need one more point in their last two games (against Chelsea and Fulham at Old Trafford) to qualify for next season’s billion dollar ball.

Ten Hag made no changes compared to the team that started last week in the home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers (2-0). That means that Tyrell Malacia and Wout Weghorst were on the bench again. United had to do without Marcus Rashford on Saturday afternoon. The attacker was not feeling well on Friday and had not recovered in time for the game against Bournemouth. Antony could again count on a basic place with the Ten Hag team, while ex-Feyeno player Marcos Senesi started from the first whistle on the side of Bournemouth.

The Red Devils took just eight minutes to take the lead. Christian Eriksen saw Casemiro’s run and served him with a bow ball. Senesi tried to intercept that pass, but mishit it, extending the ball exactly on Casemiro. The Brazilian then shot hard behind Neto with a half bicycle kick: 0-1. Moments later, David De Gea had to take action after a shot from Dominic Solanke. The ex-Vitessenaar fired at United’s goal with a hard and low shot, but saw how the Spanish closing post stopped that effort.

Solanke was able to become dangerous again just before half-time after a fine cross from Adam Smith, only his header landed on the roof of the goal. United, who dominated in the first half hour of the game, were briefly under pressure in the closing minutes of the first act, although they held on. Bournemouth continued to fire on De Gea after the break, as the Spaniard had to answer a shot from David Brooks after less than two minutes. Weghorst came in after an hour of play and was able to get on the scoreboard four minutes later, were it not for Neto’s effort being boxed away.

The Brazilian goalkeeper proved his worth again fifteen minutes before the end, when he cleverly kept a volley from Fernandes out of the goal. Bournemouth tried to force the equalizer in the final phase and almost succeeded ten minutes before the end. It was Dango Ouattara who sent Kieffer Moore off, but the latter came up against the feet of De Gea, who made an excellent goal. United could still be threatening on the counter here and there, but a goal would no longer fall in the Vitality Stadium.

No. Team m W G v +/- Pnt
1 Manchester City 35 27 4 4 61 85
2 Arsenal 36 25 6 5 41 81
3 Newcastle United 36 19 12 5 35 69
4 Manchester United 36 21 6 9 11 69
5 Liverpool 36 19 8 9 28 65
6 Brighton & Hove Albion 35 17 7 11 18 58
7 Tottenham Hotspur 37 17 6 14 4 57
8 Aston Villa 36 17 6 13 4 57
9 Brentford 37 14 14 9 11 56
10 Fulham 36 15 6 15 3 51
11 Chelsea 35 11 10 14 -5 43
12 Crystal Palace 36 11 10 15 -9 43
13 Wolverhampton W. 36 11 7 18 -22 40
14 AFC Bournemouth 37 11 6 20 -33 39
15 West Ham United 36 10 7 19 -14 37
16 Nottingham Forest 36 8 10 18 -31 34
17 Everton 36 7 11 18 -24 32
18 Leeds United 36 7 10 19 -25 31
19 Leicester City 36 8 6 22 -18 30
20 Southampton 36 6 6 24 -35 24