Ruben Amorim outlines how Bournemouth draw can inspire Man United in Bilbao
Manchester United's winless streak in the Premier League extended with a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, despite having a numerical advantage after Evanilson's red card. Rasmus Hojlund's late equalizer marked only his second goal in 19 Premier League appearances, providing a slight morale boost ahead of United's Europa League semifinal against Athletic Bilbao. Manager Ruben Amorim emphasized the importance of learning from Bournemouth's defensive style, which he noted is similar to Bilbao's, to avoid repeating the defensive lapses that saw United concede six goals against Lyon. Bilbao, known for their strong defense, pose a significant challenge as they prepare to host the semifinal at their San Mames stadium. Amorim remains focused on improving United's performance to secure a spot in the final, understanding that each match presents a new opportunity for growth and adaptation.
Manchester United's draw against Bournemouth extended their winless streak to five Premier League matches, with the team failing to capitalize on a 30-minute numerical advantage after Evanilson's red card.
Rasmus Hojlund scored a late equalizer, marking only his second goal in 19 Premier League games, which Ruben Amorim hopes will boost the Danish forward's confidence ahead of the Europa League semifinal.
Amorim highlighted the importance of strikers scoring goals but emphasized that performance should not be judged solely on this metric, as each game presents new challenges and opportunities.
United's progression to the Europa League semifinals came after a dramatic three-goal extra-time victory over Olympique Lyon, despite conceding six goals across the two legs, a defensive vulnerability Amorim seeks to address.
Athletic Bilbao, United's upcoming opponent, are known for their strong defensive record, having conceded the fewest goals in La Liga this season, making the semifinal a challenging encounter.
The similarities between Bournemouth's and Bilbao's defensive pressing styles were noted by Amorim, who urged his team to adapt and learn from the recent draw to improve their performance against the Spanish side.
The Europa League final is set to be played at Bilbao's San Mames stadium, adding motivation for the Spanish team to perform well, while United aims to refine their strategy to secure a spot in the final.
Manchester United continue to remain winless in their last five Premier League outings as they registered a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
The Red Devils were behind in the game in the 23rd minute when Antoine Semenyo handed the lead to the Cherries. But Andoni Iraola's men were reduced to 10 courtesy of a reckless tackle from Evanilson on Noussair Mazraoui in the 70th minute.
United had a man advantage for almost 30 minutes, and yet they left it late to find the equalizer courtesy of a goal from Rasmus Hojlund.
With this draw, Ruben Amorim's men are without a win in the Premier League since their 3-0 victory over Leicester City on March 17.
Following the game, Amorim touched upon several aspects as the Portuguese manager had one eye on the upcoming Europa League semifinal against Athletic Bilbao.
He backed Hojlund, who scored only his second Premier League goal in 19 appearances. But the 40-year-old believes the goal will be a boost for the Danish forward.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“It is always important for strikers to score,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “But when we look at the game as a striker, it is not just the goals. It is a good boost, but the next game is a new history, and we have to go again.”
What parallels did Amorim draw between Bournemouth and Athletic Bilbao?
Manchester United scored three extra-time goals to beat Olympique Lyon in the Europa League quarterfinals and progressed to the semifinals. Now, the Red Devils are up against Spanish outfit Athletic Bilbao.
United conceded six goals against Lyon across the two games, something that Amorim will look to focus on. They cannot repeat the same errors against Bilbao if they aim to reach the final.
The Portuguese manager pointed how Bournemouth have their similarities with Athletic Bilbao in terms of the press, so United should definitely take cues from this game and adapt for the midweek clash.
"The way Bournemouth defend is quite similar to [Bilbao]. We can take things from this game. But again, it is a new history, and we must do better," Amorim highlighted.
It will be a tough encounter for the Red Devils as Bilbao have conceded the least amount of goals in the La Liga this season (26).
Ernesto Valverde's men are fourth in the La Liga standings and are heading into the semifinals after beating Rangers in the quarterfinals.
The Europa League final will be played in Bilbao's San Mames stadium this season, so that's an added motivation for the Spanish outfit.