Bournemouth 1-1 Man Utd (Semenyo 24′ | Hojlund 90+6′ )
VITALITY STADIUM — A Bournemouth team moulded by an Athletic Bilbao legend were handy opponents for Manchester United ahead of their Europa League semi-final, but they will have to produce better than this to beat La Liga’s fourth-best team.
For 74 minutes, from the time of Antoine Semenyo’s opening goal to Rasmus Hojlund’s late equaliser, United looked like a team incapable of scoring, despite having 23 attempts on goal.
That lack of cutting edge has been a theme of a season in which only Leicester City and Everton have failed to find the net in more Premier League matches than Ruben Amorim’s side.
An abject defeat to an opponent depleted for 30 minutes would have done little for United’s already brittle confidence ahead of Thursday’s first leg.
Rasmus Hojlund equalises for Manchester United in injury time!
pic.twitter.com/BQ3rx09VcA
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 27, 2025
Maybe Hojlund’s opportunistic toe-poke in the sixth minute of nine added on will change the mood music from sombre to something more upbeat.
How United needed that; how Hojlund needed that. The Dane celebrated instinctively with a double fist pump and a relief-drenched roar before remembering there were still three minutes left to play and that he had better return to the halfway line.
It was his fourth Premier League goal of a desperately difficult campaign and his second in his last six in the competition. That return is no cause for celebration yet, but is an improvement on his return of two from his first 23 appearances, at least.
“I want to support my players,” Amorim said. “I was a player and sometimes you have bad moments, difficult moments in a big club, so I think it was a good moment for him. But it’s just a goal. Let’s focus on Thursday.”
The Portuguese cut a more relaxed figure in the Bournemouth press room than he had for the preceding 147 minutes of game time in the technical area.
He alternated between two poses – a disconsolate downward stare and headmasterly hands on hips – as passes went astray and promising attacks crashed and burned.
It was, for the most part, another game that showed how far United are from where they intend to be, but a successful salvage mission at least gave Amorim something to cling to.
United ended the match with 25 shots, the most they have had in a league game under Amorim. That 15 came after Evanilson’s hugely contentious red card on 70 minutes indicates a weakness and a positive: that they struggled to break the Cherries down when it was 11 vs 11 and that they kept on going until the end.
Two big opportunities went awry: an Alejandro Garnacho lob that was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga and a Mason Mount shot deflected wide by Milos Kerkez. Bruno Fernandes was inches away from scoring a beauty from 25 yards.
“If you look at the game, especially in the second half and especially [after] the sending off, we arrange ways to get inside the box and that is something that we are improving,” Amorim insisted. “We created chances, we managed to score one but I feel like we lost two points today.”
Hojlund’s goal should not – and will not – mask an issue that has plagued United all season. Matheus Cunha would be a welcome addition to a team crying out for individual inspiration in the final third.
Bournemouth looked far more dangerous when they had a full complement on the pitch. Their goal was a mixture of shambolic self-destruction from United and precise execution on their part.
Luke Shaw’s sideways pass to Patrick Dorgu triggered the home side’s press. Adam Smith made the tackle, Evanilson beat two United players to the cross and flicked to Antoine Semenyo, who rifled a fine finish past Andre Onana at his near post.
Bournemouth do everything at speed. By contrast, United were too static in their movement. Hojlund made life too easy for the two of the Premier League’s best young centre-backs.
In the first half, Hojlund remonstrated with Onana for passing him the ball when he was standing in an offside position just beyond halfway. To which the Cameroonian justifiably responded by stretching his arms out in bewilderment.
Chido Obi, the towering teenager snapped up from Arsenal in the winter, looks like a promising if raw prospect, and Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have shown bursts of potential at times.
They would all benefit from working alongside a more proven forward who can offer pointers and pep talks.
“We are on different levels [to Liverpool] at this moment but everything can change,” Amorim stressed.
“We need to focus on step by step and try not to think too far ahead. We have an ultimate goal that is winning the Premier League and again I’m not crazy, I know that is not going to be next year but we are trying to build something.”
The rebuilding project must start at the top rather than the bottom. Sharpening a blunt edge next season features at the very top of the club’s summer checklist.
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