Manchester United vs Bournemouth: Prediction, Lineups, Kickoff Time | Premier League 2025/26

On: December 13, 2025 1:04 AM

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Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Match Preview

Monday Night Football returns to Old Trafford on 15 December 2025, with Manchester United looking to cement their place in the European spots. Ruben Amorim’s side are flying high after a 4–1 demolition of Wolves, a result that showcased their growing attacking fluidity. Bournemouth, meanwhile, travel north in desperate need of a spark. Andoni Iraola’s men are winless in six and have slipped to 13th, though they did stop the bleeding with a gritty 0–0 draw against Chelsea last week. History suggests an upset could be on the cards—the Cherries have won on their last two visits to the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Match Info

Competition: Premier League (Matchday 16)
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester (Capacity: 75,635)
Date: Monday, 15 December 2025
Kickoff: 20:00 GMT | 21:00 CET | 01:30 IST (Tuesday)
Referee: Simon Hooper (ENG)

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Match Stakes

Manchester United (6th — 25 pts):

Win → Moves to 28 pts; potentially cracks the Top 4 depending on weekend results
Draw → Stalls momentum; missed opportunity at home before the festive chaos
Loss → Defensive frailties exposed again; allows rivals like Chelsea to pull away

Bournemouth (13th — 20 pts):

Win → Moves to 23 pts; jumps back into the top half conversation
Draw → A valuable point to build on the Chelsea draw
Loss → Extends winless run to 7; relegation zone starts to look uncomfortably close

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Team News

Manchester United:

Maguire H. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
De Ligt M. — Out (Back Injury)
Sesko B. — Questionable (Illness/Knee – Late Fitness Test)
Mbeumo B. — Questionable (AFCON Release Clause pending)
Mazraoui N. — Questionable (AFCON Release Clause pending)

Bournemouth:

Cook L. — Out (Suspended – Red Card)
Christie R. — Out (Knee Injury)
Doak B. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
Adams T. — Available (Returns from suspension)
Senesi M. — Available (Recovered from cramp)

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Manchester United

09/12 — 4–1 vs Wolves (Premier League)
05/12 — 1–1 vs West Ham (Premier League)
30/11 — 2–1 vs Crystal Palace (Premier League)
25/11 — 0–1 vs Everton (Premier League)
08/11 — 2–2 vs Tottenham (Premier League)

Bournemouth

06/12 — 0–0 vs Chelsea (Premier League)
03/12 — 0–1 vs Everton (Premier League)
29/11 — 2–3 vs Sunderland (Premier League)
22/11 — 2–2 vs West Ham (Premier League)
09/11 — 0–4 vs Aston Villa (Premier League)

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)

31/07/2025 — Manchester Utd 4–1 Bournemouth (Friendly)
27/04/2025 — Bournemouth 1–1 Manchester Utd (PL)
22/12/2024 — Manchester Utd 0–3 Bournemouth (PL)
13/04/2024 — Bournemouth 2–2 Manchester Utd (PL)
09/12/2023 — Manchester Utd 0–3 Bournemouth (PL)

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Manchester United (3-4-2-1)

Lammens; Yoro, Martinez, Shaw; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Amad; Mount, Mbeumo (or Rashford); Cunha

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1)

Petrovic; Smith, Senesi, Diakite, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Impact Bench

Manchester United: Rashford (Pace vs tired legs), Mainoo (Control), Zirkzee (Link-up play)

Bournemouth: Brooks (Creativity), Unal (Physical presence), Sinisterra (Direct dribbling)

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Tactical Analysis

Manchester United

Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system finally clicked against Wolves. The key has been the fluidity of the front three—Cunha dropping deep allows Mount and Mbeumo to attack the half-spaces. However, without De Ligt or Maguire, United’s young backline (Yoro/Heaven) can be bullied physically. They will look to dominate possession and press Bournemouth high to force turnovers in the Cherries’ defensive third.

Bournemouth

Andoni Iraola will likely abandon his usual high press for a more pragmatic mid-block, similar to the setup that earned a point against Chelsea. With Lewis Cook suspended, Tyler Adams returns to add grit to the midfield. Their game plan will be simple: absorb United’s pressure and release Antoine Semenyo and Justin Kluivert into the vast spaces behind United’s advancing wing-backs. Set-pieces will also be a major weapon given United’s lack of height at the back.

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Key Battles

Cunha vs Senesi — movement vs aggression
Fernandes vs Adams — the battle for midfield space
Dalot vs Semenyo — attacking fullback vs lethal winger
Yoro vs Evanilson — young defender’s physical test

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Spotlight Players

Manchester United — Matheus Cunha

The Brazilian forward was unplayable against Wolves, scoring and linking play effortlessly. If he finds rhythm again, Bournemouth’s defense will struggle to track his movement.

Bournemouth — Antoine Semenyo

With AFCON looming, this could be his last game for a month. His pace and power are Bournemouth’s best route to a goal. He will target the space behind Diogo Dalot.

Manchester United vs Bournemouth — Prediction

Manchester United 3–1 Bournemouth

United have found their scoring boots, and the mood at Old Trafford is lifting. Bournemouth are organized but lack confidence in the final third right now. While the Cherries have a great recent record here, Amorim’s side should have too much firepower this time.