Manchester United vs Bournemouth – Pre-season clash in Chicago

On 31 July 2025 at 02:30, Manchester United face Bournemouth in a Club Friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago, USA. This is one of United’s final matches of their US tour and offers both sides a last opportunity to prepare before the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Manchester United, now led by Rúben Amorim, have experienced a mixed pre-season so far. After a narrow defeat to ASEAN All-Stars, they responded with a 3–1 win over Hong Kong XI and a goalless draw with Leeds. Amorim is still fine-tuning his preferred 3-4-2-1 system, but the Portuguese tactician arrives with an impressive managerial record — 195 wins from 290 matches, boasting a 67% win rate.

Key players such as Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Amad Diallo, and Lisandro Martínez continue to form the backbone of the squad. Exciting new arrivals like Marcos Leonardo and João Neves could also feature in the starting line-up as Amorim looks to build momentum ahead of the new season.

Bournemouth, under the leadership of Andoni Iraola, enter this clash with confidence. Their summer preparations include a 2–1 victory over Hibernian, alongside solid displays to close out the Premier League campaign. Iraola favours a 4-2-3-1 formation and brings a track record of 122 wins from 296 matches, reflecting a 41% win rate. In attack, Dango Ouattara, Luis Sinisterra, and Dominic Solanke remain key threats in the final third.

In their most recent Premier League meetings:

– 27 April 2025: Bournemouth 1–1 Manchester United

– 13 December 2024: Manchester United 0–3 Bournemouth

Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last two games against United, scoring four goals and conceding just one. They also earned a draw in the previous Club Friendly clash between the two sides in 2023.

In the 2024/25 Premier League season, Manchester United played 38 matches, scoring 46 goals and conceding 52. Bournemouth also featured in 38 games, finding the net 50 times while allowing 54 goals. United averaged 51.8% ball possession with a pass accuracy of 83.7%, whereas Bournemouth recorded 48.6% possession and 81.5% pass accuracy.

Bruno Fernandes stood out as United’s most consistent performer throughout the campaign, supported by impressive displays from Amad Diallo and Casemiro. On the Bournemouth side, Luis Sinisterra, Dominic Solanke, and Lewis Cook played key roles, regularly influencing attacking transitions and controlling the midfield.

Manchester United head into the friendly as favourites, with expectations for an attacking display and dominance across most phases of the game. The forecast is a 3–1 victory for the Red Devils, with over 2.5 total goals and a strong contribution from key players in the final third.