There are no easy games in the Premier League. But as season openers go, travelling to the south coast for an encounter with Bournemouth is one of the easier away fixtures.
A strange quirk means United faced Bournemouth at home in the last game of the 2015/16 season, winning the game 3-1. And it will be interesting to see how Mourinho’s men fair against the side just three months later.
Bournemouth’s home form towards the end of last season hit a real slump, but so did United’s away form. United won just one game and lost five in the final six games on the road, as dreams of Champions League qualification slipped away.
This season is all about renewal though, and despite losing this fixture last season, United and Mourinho will be desperate to put down a marker in the league.
The teams have met few times before because this is only Bournemouth’s second season in the top flight. United undoubtedly have a more talented playing staff though, and if Mourinho can get his team playing as he wants at this early stage in the season they should be good to take points away from the game.
The KickOff algorithm is predicting a United win (42% likelihood) and Under 2.5 goals to be scored (54% chance). United are also picked as the team to score first (49%), with the most likely scoreline a 1-0 win for United or 1-1 draw, and a 51% chance that both sides will score.
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