Manchester United Defeat Bournemouth To Close In On The Champions League

(CTN News) – It was Casemiro who scored a brilliant acrobatic volley to give Manchester United a 1-0 Premier League victory at Bournemouth on Saturday that moved them one step closer to next season’s Champions League football.

Having moved on to 69 points in the table, Manchester United are in fourth place in the standings behind Newcastle Manchester United on goal difference, and need just one point from their home fixtures against Chelsea and Fulham next week to secure a place in the most prestigious competition for European club soccer.

The fifth-placed Liverpool team, who are on 66 points following their 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, are scheduled to face relegated Southampton on the final day of the season.

It was the visitors who dominated the opening exchanges and they took the lead at the ninth minute when Marcos Senesi attempted to hook away a Christian Eriksen pass behind the Cherries defence, but he only succeeded in teeing up Casemiro to fire home a brilliant spinning volley from the edge of the box.

Midway through the first half, the home side found their feet and Dominic Solanke controlled a long ball into the box and unleashed a shot which David De Gea was forced to dive to his left in order to save.

With Victor Lindelof forced into a number of defensive headers on the back foot, Bournemouth were able to ignite a positive spell in the second half, but they were soon on the back foot once again as Manchester United took control of the game again.

During the game, Antony wasted a number of good chances, while substitutes Wout Weghorst and Bruno Fernandes both forced Neto into fine saves to keep Manchester United in the game, and it looked as if one more goal was only a matter of time before United scored again.

It was almost as if they would be made to pay for their wayward finishing when substitute Kieffer Moore bore down on goalkeeper David De Gea late on, but the goalkeeper blocked his shot and the danger was averted.

After this, Manchester United still managed to hold on for a victory that sent the travelling supporters wild with celebrations as the team held on for the win that prompted one more chance for the home side.

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