Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored on his Manchester United debut away at Bournemouth to make it a winning start to the Jose Mourinho era.
Much like he did at previous clubs Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus, the Swedish striker fired home on his first appearance to put United well in command.
That strike came after earlier goals from Juan Mata and skipper Wayne Rooney as, despite conceding to an Adam Smith drive 20 minutes from time, it proved to be a comfortable afternoon on the South Coast for the Red Devils who claimed an opening-day 3-1 victory.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Bournemouth and Manchester United at Dean Court. These two sides last faced off just 89 days ago in a rearranged top-flight fixture at Old Trafford - a match the Red Devils won comfortably - but that would prove to be the end for Louis van Gaal who was replaced by Jose Mourinho during the summer.
It may have seemed like the perfect match a few years back when Sir Alex Ferguson brought down the curtain on his hugely successful quarter-century spell at the Theatre of Dreams, but United supporters have been made to wait for the arrival of one Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese arrives on the back of a disappointing season of his own last time out, so this is a tenure that really could go either way.
TEAM NEWS!
BOURNEMOUTH XI: Boruc, A Smith, Francis, S Cook, Daniels, Surman, Arter, L Cook, Ibe, King, Wilson
MANCHESTER UNITED XI: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Rooney, Martial, Ibrahimovic
Starting with a look at the visiting team, then, and Mourinho has named Zlatan Ibrahimovic up top for his first ever Premier League appearance. The ex-Sweden international is a figure that many have been waiting to see compete in the English top flight, with his goals helping some of European football's biggest clubs to silverware over the past 15 years or so.
The biggest surprise when looking at the United team arguably comes in midfield, though, where Juan Mata is handed a starting spot. There is no Jesse Lingard for the Red Devils this afternoon, so Mata - aggrieved to have been taken off at Wembley last weekend and seemingly on his way out of the club - is handed a place out on the right-hand side. Wayne Rooney is fielded in his favoured No.10 position, while Anthony Martial completes the forward quartet.
There has been plenty of talk about which formation best suits this United side, with a 4-3-3 possibly the best at getting the most out of £89m midfielder Paul Pogba, but with the Frenchman suspended this afternoon Mourinho has gone with his tried and trusted 4-2-3-1 set-up. Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera are the men to fill the defensive midfield berths, with Eric Bailly handed a start at the back alongside the versatile Daley Blind.
In terms of the home side, manager Eddie Howe has named summer signings Jordon Ibe and Lewis Cook in his first starting lineup of this new Premier League season. Callum Wilson, so impressive last season before picking up a long-term injury, spearheads the attack alongside former United starlet Joshua King who has done very well at Dean Court since joining from Blackburn Rovers last summer.
It is certainly a settled-looking Bournemouth XI, with just those two new faces coming in, but plenty of energy can be expected from that Cherries frontline. Ibe is a pacy winger who came in from Liverpool this summer for a club-record fee and, alongside both King and Wilson, could give United's defence a real tough time of things over the next couple of hours.
BENCH WATCH!
BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Federici, B Smith, Ake, Gosling, Gradel, Grabban, Afobe
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Rojo, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Memphis, Mkhitaryan, Rashford
Bournemouth include two more of their summer signings on the bench, as Nathan Ake and Brad Smith are both made to wait for their first competitive starts for the club. Max Gradel, another who experienced a frustrating spell on the sidelines last term, can provide a goal-scoring threat from the bench along with Benik Afobe and Lewis Grabban, while Dan Gosling brings plenty of energy in the middle of the pitch.
Mourinho has decided to leave Mkhitaryan on the bench today for the second time in succession, which is a little surprising but perhaps understandable when looking to integrate a few new faces into the side. Herrera is preferred to Michael Carrick in the middle, so the Englishman has to settle for a place among the back-ups, while Marcus Rashford will be desperate to play some part on the South Coast after an explosive breakthrough season last time out.
Juan Mata's future has very much been up in the air sine Jose Mourinho arrived at Manchester United earlier this summer. The Spaniard, sold by Mourinho during his time at Chelsea, was hauled off soon after being brought on at Wembley last weekend but, with Jesse Lingard out injured, Mata is turned to on the right-hand side of a three-man attacking midfield today.
So a new era for United gets underway by the seaside this afternoon, as Mourinho aims to get his latest managerial spell in the Premier League off to a winning start. The Red Devils did end their season on a high last time out when winning the FA Cup, but a fifth-placed finish in the league had already sealed Van Gaal's fate. It was a cruel decision in many ways, with the Red Devils only missing out on the top four by goal difference alone, yet many agreed that a change was overdue.
While both Van Gaal and David Moyes failed to impress during their spells at Old Trafford, Mourinho arrives at the club with a proven pedigree of success in the Premier League. Forget top-four finishes or winning spells abroad - Mourinho has been there and done it during his two spells at Chelsea when it comes to lifting the Premier League trophy. The Portuguese has not messed around since landing the job, either, having brought in four high-profile signings.
Ibrahimovic was brought in as arguably the most sought after free agent of all time, having scored 38 goals in 31 Ligue 1 appearances last season to prove that he can still score goals in one of Europe's top leagues. Bailly was brought in from Villarreal with a reputation as a no-nonsense central-defender, meanwhile, which he was quick to highlight with an eye-catching display at Wembley last weekend. Mkhitaryan claimed the most assists in the Bundesliga and, well, Pogba is Pogba.
Despite what many say, Mourinho has given youth a chance in the past at many of his clubs - less so at Chelsea, granted - which means that a player of Rashford's quality will be given a chance to shine in the coming years. It will be incredibly tough for the young Englishman to hold down a spot with Ibrahimovic as his direct competition for the sole striking berth, but rotation will likely be key this season in a side expected to play high-energy football.
The style of play at United last season really was dire at time, with seven goalless draws in all during Van Gaal's final campaign at the club. The Red Devils also went into the interval locked at 0-0 on 24 occasions - twenty four! - so Mourinho certainly has a tough job on his hands in turning this team into an entertaining outfit of yesteryear. The Portuguese admitted as much recently, in fact, when claiming that it will take time for players to forget about taking a simple, side-wards option so often.
There has been a lot of talk about United's incoming business this summer, understandably, but it must be remembered that they have also done very well to keep hold of David de Gea. The Spaniard was named as the club's Player of the Season again last season for the third year in a row - the first United player to ever achieve that feat. Reports also emerged overnight that Raphael Varane is still on Mourinho's radar, so their transfer business may not be over quite yet.
In terms of the Red Devils' pre-season, it is fair to say that it did not go quite as smooth as it might have. It was a disrupted summer, with a trip to the Far East seeing United thrashed by Borussia Dortmund and then having to waste a few days for their meeting for Manchester City to be called of on the morning of the match. Five games played in all, including the 2-1 win over Leicester City seven days ago, but will United be at peak fitness levels today?
DID YOU KNOW? Wayne Rooney has scored six goals on the opening weekend of a Premier League season - more than anyone else currently still playing. Jose Mourinho has never lost an opener during his time in England, meanwhile, winning six and drawing one, although that one blemish did come at home to Swansea City 12 months ago in a sign of things to come at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho's first challenge as United boss comes at Dean Court against a Bournemouth side looking to avoid the dreaded second-season syndrome. The Cherries finished 16th last season - an impressive debut campaign at this level having been heavily backed for an immediate drop back into the Championship. Relegation was never truly a worry on the South Coast, though, with Howe a key factor behind that.
Bournemouth supporters have known for a while that they have a special manager at the club, but it was arguably only last season that the rest of the footballing world sat up and took notice. The young boss was linked with the England job in the summer, which probably came too early in Howe's career for him to seriously consider it, but another solid campaign this time around and maybe one of the traditional top-six sides will make an approach and test his resolve.
On the topic of season-season syndrome, it is difficult to imagine Bournemouth being too complacent this season as they did only finish five points above the drop zone come the final ball being kicked. Howe, who has spent the best part of 22 years with the Cherries as player and manager, stuck to his guns last term even when things were not exactly going his side's way - two wins from 14 games heading into December hardly doing much to stop many tipping them for the drop.
Bournemouth soon proved the doubters wrong, however, with back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Man United prior to the festive period providing the Cherries with a platform to push on. Defensively things needs to improve, mind, as only Aston Villa conceded more goals last term, while the dependable Tommy Elphick has also departed to join, ironically enough, the Villans on a permanent deal.
The Cherries have also lost Matt Ritchie during the off-season, again to a Championship club in Newcastle United, with the midfielder's eight assists likely to be hard to replace this term. Howe did spent big to bring in Ibe from Liverpool, though, and the winger is going to have to hit the ground running this afternoon if the South-Coast outfit are to begin their second-ever season at this level in style.
In terms of the Cherries' pre-season programme, they went unbeaten in their six friendlies, rounding things off with a 1-0 win at Angers last weekend. It is a fairly tricky start to the campaign for Howe and his men, though, with a meeting against West Ham United - another top-six side - to come next weekend, before trips to Morecambe and Crystal Palace in league and cup.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last four home meetings against Manchester United in all competitions; a run that includes that impressive victory here last December just a week on from stunning fallen champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Four of the Red Devils' opening-day losses in the Premier League have come away from home, meanwhile, so could we be in for another shock on the South Coast today?
With a little over five minutes to go until kickoff at Dean Court, let us now check out some of the pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Eddie Howe: "I think Zlatan will probably play. He's a real talent, it's great to see him here, but we don't want to be in awe of him, we want to keep him quiet. You can pick any one in United's team and they will be a threat, even the full-backs, [Antonio] Valencia and [Luke] Shaw. We are well aware of the test we have. Hopefully we give as good as we get."
Jose Mourinho: "First of all, I didn't buy them. I don't have enough money to pay that amount. So credit to the club, credit to the potential that the club has, not just financially but also what the club means for the world of football to attract players. I think I gave a contribution because I was very objective. I think some managers, they have doubts."
Howe knows full well the task that his side face this afternoon, then, with Ibrahimovic indeed named in the starting lineup for United. Mourinho, meanwhile, discussed his side's transfer business in he build-up to this game, but reports overnight suggest that Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is a fresh target for the Red Devils. One way or another, Mourinho needs to hit the ground running with victory here today.
Both sets of players are now out on the field of play, greeted at Dean Court by a superb atmosphere from all four corners of the division's smallest ground. Can Manchester United, who include Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the off this afternoon, get off to a winning start at Bournemouth? It is time to find out...
KICKOFF! Man United get us underway at Dean Court, sporting their new white and black away strip. Plenty of noise being made by those travelling supporters early on. Can the 11 players on the field respond by making an impression in this opening game?
Some decent movement from Rooney in the final third helps United get in behind for the first time today early on, but the Englishman just runs the ball out of play without really doing anything with it.
SHOT! Half a chance for Wilson to open the scoring for his side inside the opening five minutes when latching on to a loose ball inside the area, only to blast narrowly wide of the target. Bright start from both sides.
Bournemouth pressing nice and high up the pitch so far, looking to get in behind the United backline. The Red Devils yet to really get going on the South Coast, with the only shot on the match coming up the other end via Wilson's right boot.
Rooney has seen a fair bit of the ball, as you would expect with the Englishman positioned in that favoured No.10 role. The ball eventually finds its way to Mata in a deeper position, but his lofted pass into the box is headed away before Rooney can reach it.
Ibrahimovic is tracking back into his own half when United are chasing back possession, which is interesting to see. Mourinho often gives one player a free role in the team - Cristiano Ronaldo and Eden Hazard most recently - but the ex-Sweden international is so far putting in a shift.
Bailly with a real strong challenge in the middle of the park, which referee Andre Marriner is happy to let pass. The centre-back certainly does not hold back, as witnessed at Wembley Stadium seven days ago against Leicester City.
A cross comes into the Bournemouth box from the right, which Ibrahimovic is desperate to get on the end of when flying through the air. Francis and Cook were also after the ball, though, with all three men left clattered on the ground. Francis was the player who got the telling touch in the end.
A real scare for United at the back, as Wilson capitalises on a Daley Blind slip to race through on goal. The referee spotted a trip on the Dutchman, however, and was quick to blow his whistle before the Bournemouth striker could get a shot away.
Bournemouth, like they did all through last season, are harrying United at every possible opportunity. The Red Devils yet to put together any sort of attacking move with nearly a quarter of the match now played on the South Coast.
Eddie Howe will be the happier of the two managers at this point, with the Cherries doing exactly what is required to keep their opponents at bay. A very similar United to last season as things stand, but expect that to change when these new faces begin to click.
A little disjointed as far as United are concerned to say the least at the moment. Valencia, on his landmark appearance for the visitors, goes long towards Ibrahimovic but misses his intended target as the ball goes straight through to Boruc.
SHOT! United get away their first shot of the afternoon, but it is a rather poor attempt that sails a good few yards wide of the target. Martial was the man at the centre of it, running at the Bournemouth defence and cutting inside from the left before his howler.
SHOT! A second attempt in quick succession from the visitors, this latest effort ending on target as Valencia cuts the ball back to Rooney in a decent position, only for the Englishman to strike the ball down the middle where Boruc was waiting to save.
The first corner of the match is easily collected by Boruc to end United's sustained spell of pressure. The Red Devils growing more and more into things, with that Rooney shot a couple of minutes ago their best chance of the match so far.
Home supporters encouraged by a solid spell of possession from their side, which does not really come to anything in terms of troubling the visitors' backline. Wilson nearly got his head on the end of one cross, while De Gea had to react quickly to clear Rooney's fizzed back-pass, but nothing too much to concern Mourinho.
United's turn to knock the ball around now in an attempt to work it forward into attack. Rooney strikes the ball to win his side a second corner kick of the contest, which once again is in a perfect position for Boruc to race out and collect.
Arter is furious at Fellaini after the Belgian wrestled Cook to the ground from that previous United corner. The United midfielder just seems unable to avoid trouble, but on this occasion Andre Marriner was happy enough with what he saw inside the box.
the atmosphere around Dean Court is very subdued all of a sudden, which reflects what we have witnessed on the field in this first half. Very little goalmouth action so far, with just the one Rooney shot on goal.
Bournemouth win a free kick in a good position, which Ibe stands over to swing a delivery into the box. Two home players fall to ground when attempting to get on the end of it, as United eventually clear their lines with relative ease.
A few white shirts are lined up towards the back post for United, but Herrera's cross from deep is overhit and goes straight out of play for a goal kick. Just four minutes of this very flat first half left to play on the South Coast.
GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (JUAN MATA)
The first goal of the Jose Mourinho era at United - in the Premier League, at least - is scored by Juan Mata. The Spaniard may have looked like being on his way out of the club, but he has come up with a huge goal here after chasing down a weak Simon Francis back-pass. Boruc managed to keep out the first effort but the rebound came off Francis's shin and Mata was happy to poke home.
A very tight first half on the South Coast, which neither side truly deserves to be leading, has just a minute or so left to run. Can United now push on from that Mata goal and show what they are capable of? We are unlikely to find out until after the restart.
United being allowed to see this half out with relative ease now, as they continue to knock the ball around in midfield. Bournemouth did get one cross into the box a few moments ago but it was headed away by Fellaini before a home players could meet it.
HALF TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED
Referee Andre Marriner brings the first half to a close, and it is a half that United just about edged through that breakthrough Juan Mata goal shortly before the interval. There was very little by the way of chances for either side, with the only other shot on target arriving midway through via Wayne Rooney's attempt.
It may only have been half a chance for Bournemouth, but Callum Wilson's near miss three minutes in when latching on to a loose ball in the box was the closest they came to a first-half breakthrough. United were struggling to get striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic into the game, with the ex-Sweden international's frustrations compounded following a clash of heads with Simon Francis.
United's best spell in the opening 45 minutes came midway through when testing Artur Boruc for the first time, with some smart play from Antonio Valencia on his 250th appearance opening up the Cherries before Wayne Rooney struck the ball right down the middle. That came moments after Anthony Martial had cut inside from his starting position on the left to fire a few yards wide of the target.
Just when the first half appeared to be coming to a disappointing conclusion, Juan Mata capitalised on a weak Francis back-pass to race in behind and test Boruc with just the Red Devils' second attempt on goal. The Polish stopper did well to keep the ball out, but an unfortunate deflection saw the ball come back off Francis's shin and back into the path of Mata - in for the absent Jesse Lingard today - who poked home to opening goal of the Mourinho reign.
Manchester United have taken a slender 1-0 lead into the break away at Bournemouth thanks to Juan Mata's goal five minutes before the interval. It came after a defensive blunder at the back, as Simon Francis was twice made to pay.
BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Federici, B Smith, Ake, Gosling, Gradel, Grabban, Afobe
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Rojo, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Memphis, Mkhitaryan, Rashford
RESTART! The hosts get us back under way at Dean Court, aiming to battle back from a goal down. No changes made by either manager at the break, so it is as you were in that respect.
The atmosphere remains very flat around the ground, which is so often the case in these early lunchtime kickoffs in the Premier League. Supporters perhaps just waiting for something to happen to inspire them, with the Cherries so far being shackled in attack.
SAVE! Smith with a needless push on Herrera, who was just looking to usher the ball out of play for a goal kick. Moments later, an Ibrahimovic smart flick over the top is met by Rooney after simply outmuscling Cook, but his first-time shot is denied by Boruc.
PENALTY APPEAL! Rooney again with the ball at his feet inside the box, but he loses his balance with Surman the closest player to him. Replays show that contact was very, very minimal, so Marriner was right not to give that.
Ibe has been quiet all afternoon up to this point, although he works something from pretty much nothing by blasting a shot on goal which is blocked aside. The Bournemouth fans like that and respond with some applause - exactly what was required at this stage.
Not a great deal of action at the moment, but United looking the more likely to score the game's second goal as evidenced by that Rooney shot and the penalty appeal soon after. Howe must be thinking about making a change or two as we approach the hour mark.
GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (WAYNE ROONEY)
I said United have looked the more likely to score over the past 10 minutes or so, and they do exactly that through Wayne Rooney's well-taken header. Valencia was involved again, sending in a cross from the right which Martial completely miscued into the path of Rooney who was waiting to nod back across goal.
SAVE! Ibrahimovic will be desperate to get his name on the scoresheet today, and he comes very close to doing so with a decent free kick from the edge of the box. Boruc got a strong hand to the ball to help it away, before the Swede miscued his scissor-kick follow-up.
GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-3 MANCHESTER UNITED (ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC)
There is an opening-day goal for Ibrahimovic, who scores from long range with a rather tame attempt. The ex-PSG man hardly struck the ball cleanly, but Boruc could not keep it out of the bottom corner at full stretch and United are now cruising to three points.
Mourinho now in the position where he can think about taking a few of his more important players off for some deserved rest. That said, many are still looking to gain fitness and this is the perfect type of game to get some minutes under the belt with the points secure.
GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 1-3 MANCHESTER UNITED (ADAM SMITH)
Bournemouth make a double change after falling three down, bringing on Afobe and Grabban for Wilson and Ibe, and within moments they have a lifeline. Adam Smith was slipped through brilliantly by a precise pass and made no mistake when firing high into the net.
So not quite game over just yet, then, but certainly a very strong position for United to find themselves in with a quarter of the match to go. Ibrahimovic and Rooney both on the target, Smith's strike has denied Mourinho what would have been a perfect start.
Mourinho yet to make a change this afternoon, despite having both Rashford and Mkhitaryan on the bench. United have been comfortable enough since conceding to that Smith strike, but they just need to see out the remaining 16 minutes or so now.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Mkhitaryan, the top player in Germany's Bundesliga in terms of assists last season. is finally introduced in place of Mata. The Spaniard looking just a little more happy today compared to last weekend, with that opening goal under his belt.
Really good tracking back from Ibrahimovic to win back the ball for his side. Fellaini works it to Martial who looks to create something from the left, but his ball into the box is miscontrolled and Bournemouth clear their lines.
Mourinho looks to be readying a couple more players to come on for these final 10 minutes or so. Just a case of seeing things through now for the remainder, with this a solid away performance on the opening day of the campaign.
BOURNEMOUTH SUB! Lewis Cook is replaced 82 minutes into his Bournemouth debut, with the creative Max Gradel on in his place. Mourinho admitted to being a fan of the Ivorian last summer, but can he now prevent United from claiming a simple win?
The Cherries are the side asking all of the questions as we enter the final stages of this match, but they were unable to trouble De Gea before possession was lost to Fellaini. United appear to be ready to make their second change of the afternoon.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Martial, who claimed an assist with his miscued attempt leading to United's second, is replaced by Morgan Schneiderlin late on at Dean Court. The former Southampton man tasked with just keeping things ticking over in the middle.
YELLOW CARD! A booking for Ander Herrera on his birthday - the first caution all afternoon. A little under two minutes left to play now on the South Coast and no real sign of the game's fifth goal arriving.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Mourinho breaking up play well in these final 10 minutes or so. Rooney is taken off with Memphis Depay on in his place. The captain's armband has been handed over to Daley Blind for the final moments here.
Two of four added minutes have now been played at Dean Court. The game has been petering out ever since United scored their third of the match, really, with that Bournemouth consolation strike changing very little.
FULL TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-3 MANCHESTER UNITED
The full-time whistle sounds at Dean Court, where Manchester United have comfortably held out - bar a late flurry for the hosts - to pick up three points in Jose Mourinho's first league game at the helm. Bournemouth did well to pull a goal back through Adam Smith 20 minutes from time, although they could not really push on from that point and truly trouble their opponents.
Well that concludes Sports Mole's live updates from the South Coast, but be sure to check out this on-the-whistle report before heading off. Reaction from Dean Court will follow in due course, while text coverage of the late kickoff in the Premier League between Arsenal and Liverpool can be found right here. Enjoy!
