Manchester United visit Bournemouth in the Premier League in what could be a potential banana skin fixture for the Red Devils in their quest to clinch Champions League football next season.
Michael Carrick’s side sit third in the division with a three-point cushion over closest challengers Aston Villa, who they beat 3-1 last weekend.
That match saw Bruno Fernandes continue his quest to break the English top flight’s single-season record for assists, notching his 15th and 16th of the campaign to break David Beckham’s club record in the process.
United’s skipper also starred the last time he faced Bournemouth, registering a goal and another of his assists during a chaotic 4-4 draw at Old Trafford in December.
Amad Diallo, Matheus Cunha and Casemiro scored the others that day for the hosts under former boss Ruben Amorim, but the Cherries pegged their opponents back three times and even led at one stage.
Andoni Iraola and co will be out for revenge on home soil as they bid to secure a top-half finish and possibly European football for themselves.
Worryingly for Carrick, whose tenure has brought a general upturn in form to the red half of Manchester, their recent record in this fixture suggests they could get it.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Bournemouth vs Manchester United is scheduled for an 8pm GMT kick-off on Friday, March 20, 2026.
The match will take place at Vitality Stadium, in Bournemouth.
Where to watch Bournemouth vs Manchester United
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports.
Coverage starts at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event, with the match also being aired on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HD.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Bournemouth vs Manchester United team news
For Bournemouth, the trio of Julio Soler, Lewis Cook and Justin Kluivert are expected to remain out, while Tyler Adams is a doubt.
Adams limped out of the Cherries’ last meeting with United after mere minutes had been played, having torn a knee ligament. He spent two months on the sidelines before returning in February, but then missed last weekend’s stalemate with Burnley due to having “felt something” in training beforehand.
There should be an update on the American midfielder’s condition when Iraola speaks to the media, and likewise when it comes to Cook, who was still “running on his own” as of March 13 as he recovers from a thigh injury.
As for United, Noussair Mazraoui and Mason Mount were both unused substitutes in the win over Villa last weekend. Both may play a role, but will struggle to break into Carrick’s largely consistent lineup even if fully fit.
In terms of the likely absentees, Lisandro Martinez will miss his fifth game in a row with a calf injury while Matthijs de Ligt (back) and Patrick Dorgu (hamstring) are expected to remain out until next month.
Arguably, Carrick’s main decision to make is once again in attack.
Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, Cunha and Benjamin Sesko are still battling for three spots, with Cunha adding to Casemiro’s opener against Villa before Sesko - who replaced the ineffective Mbeumo in the 74th minute - provided the finishing touches, netting for the fifth time in his last seven Premier League appearances.
Only one of the Slovenian’s goals in that time have come in a game he has started, so it remains to be seen whether Carrick will keep him as an impact sub or use his aerial presence to try to cause Bournemouth problems from the jump.
Bournemouth vs Manchester United prediction
Man United began Carrick’s reign with three clean sheets in six games, but they haven’t managed one in the three matches since then.
There will be some expectations of another shut-out here, though, given Bournemouth have scored just once in their last four outings.
However, the Cherries have themselves conceded just once in that time, registering four clean sheets in their last seven attempts. That apparent defensive solidity will be put to the test by a Red Devils side that have scored at least once in every game under their interim gaffer, albeit while labouring to a few of their results.
While the reverse fixture was an eight-goal thriller, aforementioned changes in form since then suggest this could end up being a cagier affair.
Still, United have lost just once under Carrick, making them the most in-form side in the Premier League’s top-four race. The general feel-good factor around the club - plus the comparative quality within the two squad’s - should see them pick up another three points here.
Manchester United to win, 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
While the Red Devils have the edge in the overall head-to-head history of this tie, they have notably failed to beat Bournemouth in five attempts since a 1-0 victory on the south coast in May 2023, when Casemiro scored the winner for an Erik ten Hag-led team.
Three of the five fixtures that followed between these clubs have ended in draws - a 2-2 and a 1-1 at the Vitality, and then this season’s 4-4 - while the Cherries have won the other two, both 3-0 at Old Trafford under Ten Hag and then Amorim.
Bournemouth wins: 5
Manchester United wins: 14
Draws: 6
Bournemouth vs Manchester United match odds
Bournemouth to win: 2/1
Manchester United to win: 1/1
Draw: 11/5
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
