This season, Bournemouth still has something to fight in the Premier League, with European qualification, while organizing a wrestling side of Manchester United.
The race for the Champions League places is sleek, but Bournemouth still has an external chance to book a place in one of the other European competitions while leading the rest of the chase package.
In the meantime, United is in the bottom half of the table, with little to shout in the Premier League.
However, they have one clear spark left in their season, with a Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao on the Horizon-a draw that Ruben Amorim will probably already have one eye on.
Whatever happens, United Look sent to their lowest Premier League finish and points out, while they are 14th with 38 points.
If they want to save a little proudly in the last five games, they have to pick up points quickly, but Bournemouth has the upper hand of their recent meetings, which means that United has to do if they want to avoid a third consecutive defeat in the top flight.
With the help of Opta data we dive into the most important insights prior to Sunday's collision at the Vitality Stadium.
What is expected?
Bournemouth has not removed in their meetings with United in recent seasons, and given their advantage above them also in the table, they are expected to come to the top.
The cherries are unbeaten in their last three Premier League matches against United (W2 D1), including an extensive 3-0 win in Old Trafford in December.
In fact, they have collected so many points in these games (seven) as in their first 12 against the Red Devils (W2 D1 L9).
Another victory on Sunday would see them the sixth other side to complete the competition doubles over United this term, most in a single campaign since 1933-34 (six), and most in a top season since 1930-31 (nine).
And United recently struggled to contain Bournemouth's attacking power. They have admitted eight goals in their last three Premier League matches against them, as many as they had in their previous 11 against the cherries.
So the Opta -Supercomputer gives Bournemouth a 54.9% chance to take all three points on the vitality on Sunday.
In the meantime, United has only a chance of 22.6% to come to the top, which means that it is almost as likely that this match will be a draw (22.5%).
The gap between these teams has been amazing this season and the prediction of the model reflects that.
Bournemouth ends in half a century
With the title race and relegation battle almost done and dusted for the end of April, the race for European football will ensure an exciting finish of the season.
A place in Europe next season would be the icing on the cake for the men of Andoni Iraola, who have already reached this campaign new heights.
Due to their frustrating 0-0-drawing game with Crystal Palace last weekend, they achieved 49 points this season in the Premier League, their highest count ever in a campaign in the competition, who exceed their 48 in 2023-24.
They could be the 40th other side to reach a season of 50+ points in the competition, with the last team reaching that count for the first time Brentford in 2022-23 (59).
Iraola thought that Bournemouth should have won that match against 10-man palace. They had 15 shots, with four of them on goal. Although they had no one attempt on Target, their attempts were only worth 0.72 expected goals (XG).
Bournemouth was reflected in February and March of their stumbling, partly helped by their avid defense in recent weeks.
For the first time since November 2019, they want to record three consecutive Premier League Clean Sheets, with the third game when a 1-0 home win against United.
The 1-0 victory of the Cherries over Fulham in their last home match she saw a point of four consecutive defeats ending in the home base, and Iraola will hope that they can build on that result to be paramount in the European race.
Can United find their advanced edge for the goal?
Things look pretty gloomy for Amorim's side in the Premier League, because their 1-0 defeat against Wolves last time was their 15th loss in the top flight this season most ever in a single campaign in the competition.
Their professional ligation could be seen again during that match, because they knew 12 shots, worth 1.32 xg, but only hit the target with two of them.
After that match, Amorim came to the defense of Rasmus Hojlund, with the striker who only manages one shot in 70 minutes on the field, a sixth consecutive game without scoring, and noticed how the rest of the team was struggling.
It has been a regular characteristic of their season, because they did not score this season in 13 different Premier League matches, where only Leicester City (15) and Everton (14) do this more.
United was not able to score in more competition matches in a single campaign in 1989-90 (16), a record that they hope to avoid towards the end of the season.
In general, they have managed only 36 goals in the Premier League this period, with Bruno Fernandes their top scorer with eight goals in the competition. Amad Diallo, who has not played since February, is second on that list of six.
Their migration comes from 439 shots and 44.2 xg, which means that they performed behind them for the goal, although those struggles could still be displayed before Amorim took over from Erik ten Hag.
Given their competition position, it means that they have little to play in the top flight, the Amorim can choose to keep his side fresh with one eye on that last four collision, which is their last hope to save their season.
United has won so many matches in the Europa League under Amorim (six wins in eight games) as in 22 Premier League matches among him (W6 D5 L11), another record that he will gladly improve.
Players to watch
Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo
No player has had more shots this season in the Premier League than Semenyo (116, level with Mohamed Salah).
Indeed, it is most photos that a Bournemouth player has ever had in a single top campaign.
He has had at least 53 more shots than all his teammates and has also made the most efforts on goal (37).
The wing player has scored eight goals, his joint-best return of a single campaign (level with his count for the cherries last season and 2021-22 with Bristol City), and the Semenyo displays undoubtedly warned the top clubs this season.
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
Only Cole Palmer (78) has created more opportunities in the Premier League this season than Fernandes (77).
The United Captain also has nine assists this term and only reaches double digits in 2020-21 (12).
He did not play against Wolves-it from the start was the first time that he has come from the bank in the Premier League since January 2022-and with the semi-final of the Europa League only four days after this match, Amorim could be careful again with his Talisman.
The Red Devils did not succeed in winning each of their last six league matches without Fernandes in the starting line -up (D1 L5), so that would certainly be a risk.