“Playing very well…” – Andoni Iraola warns Bournemouth about £50m Manchester United duo

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has warned his players about two Manchester United players ahead of their Premier League clash.

Ruben Amorim’s side faced a tough exit from the Carabao Cup, which they won two years ago, falling to Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals.

Despite the disappointment, United remain fully focused on turning their Premier League campaign around, as emphasised by the head coach before the match.

Last weekend, the Reds produced a stunning performance, securing a surprise victory over rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, bringing them closer to the teams above them in the league standings.

This weekend, United face a challenging encounter against high-flying Bournemouth, who currently sit sixth. A win would see United leapfrog their opponents and edge closer to breaking into the top four.

However, Andoni Iraola’s side have been in excellent form this season and will present a stern challenge for Amorim’s United, who are still finding their rhythm under his leadership.

Iraola warns Bournemouth about United duo

Iraola has been previewing the game on Sunday and explained the differences he sees between Amorim’s side and how Erik ten Hag set up the team beforehand.

He believes that the team have not only improved in possession of the ball, but also when defending.

“I think they are different,” he told reporters. “I think they play in a different way, different system, different approach to the games.

“I think they keep the game’s more under control. They’ve raised the possession they have on the ball, and they have really good patterns.

“And if we allow them to dictate the game and to be the team taking the decisions on the ball, it’s going to be very difficult because I think they are playing very well. They are conceding very few chances, very few goals. They have very good defensive stats.”

However, the Bournemouth manager also highlighted the signings which United made in the summer, particularly in the defensive setup.

The Reds bought Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to the club in the summer for around £50 million and they have both been strong performers in United’s team this season.

“They already had with Ten Hag this season because they’ve signed also new defenders, good defenders and they’ve improved from past season defensively overall,” Iraola continued. “And I think they are continuing now.”

De Ligt and Mazraoui set to start vs Bournemouth

Iraola clearly believes that the former Bayern pair are players who have improved United and they are both expected to start against his team on the weekend.

De Ligt was absent from the cup defeat to Spurs due to illness but is expected to return to the side on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Mazraoui has been a crucial player for Amorim and has played multiple positions. It seems most likely that he operates at right wingback.

Read More: Ruben Amorim told four Manchester United players he must build around, wildcard option included

Iraola will also want to be wary of Amad Diallo in United’s attack, who is in red hot form after scoring or assisting 10 goals in his last 10 appearances.

The Reds must not enter the game with any complacency, however, with Bournemouth already having beaten Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester City this season.

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