Manchester United visit Bournemouth on Sunday aiming to give their fans something to celebrate in the Premier League.
The Red Devils head into the weekend 14th in the standings. They have lost 15 league games this term – a woeful record for a club of their stature.
A measure of their demise can be garnered from the online betting markets, with United no longer rated as a viable wagering proposition.
Punters worldwide would previously have wagered heavily on the team to defeat Bournemouth given their traditional dominance in this fixture.
However, sportsbooks such as Paripesa South Africa rate the Cherries as the odds-on favourites to pile more misery on United by defeating them this weekend.
Their stance is fuelled by the recent head-to-head between the two sides, with Bournemouth winning two and drawing one of their last three meetings.
United’s hopes of success at the Vitality Stadium are clouded by their ongoing involvement in the Europa League, which is now the priority for the club.
Winning the competition would secure a place in next season’s Champions League, which would be a major boost after a largely underwhelming campaign.
Manager Ruben Amorim may decide to rest some key players for the trip to the south coast, thus handing the initiative to the home side.
Bournemouth remain in contention to qualify for Europe via their league position and will fancy their chance of picking up three points against United.
The Cherries have a reasonable record on their own patch this term, winning seven and drawing three of their 16 matches.
They were good value for their 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture and will never have a better chance of recording their first-ever league double over United.
Bournemouth’s chances of victory could be boosted by the return of Luis Sinisterra, who is close to returning to action following a thigh injury.
Ryan Christie and Enes Unal are long-term absentees for the home side, but manager Andoni Iraola has no other injury worries to contend with.
United have struggled with injuries this season, but their problems are easing. Toby Collyer and Jonny Evans are in contention to play, but the game could come too soon for Matthjis de Ligt.
Ayden Heaven is also nearing a return, although manager Ruben Amorim may decide to adopt a cautious approach with an eye on next season.
While a run of just one in their last seven matches makes Bournemouth vulnerable, its is difficult to be too upbeat about United’s chances of winning on Sunday.
Ten wins in 33 league games paints a sorry picture for a team who went into the season with ambitions of securing Champions League qualification.
They could still achieve the feat, albeit through the secondary route of winning the Europa League. However, the upcoming semi-final against Athletic Club will not be easy.
United’s deficiencies were laid bare in their quarter-final tie against Lyon, with the team putting their fans through an emotional wringer over the two legs.
They showed plenty of character to eventually get the job done, but the roller-coaster nature of their performances in each game was ultimately concerning.
While Amorim has understandably made no secret that the Europa League is now the priority, he cannot afford to write off the league campaign.
The fans have had little to cheer about on the road this season, with United winning just four of their sixteen league games away from Old Trafford.
Winning matches is a good habit to get into and could be the catalyst for United to achieve their goal in UEFA’s second tier competition.
