da aposte e ganhe： The former Madrid team-mates shone in a gritty 1-0 win at Bournemouth which practically sealed United's return to Europe's elite competition

da bwin： Manchester United are so close to returning to the Champions League, they can hear the faint hums of that famous anthem. On a sunny day in Bournemouth, Erik ten Hag's side did just enough to earn a 1-0 win, and thanks to Liverpool's 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, they only need one point from their final two games to wrap up a top-four finish.

Casemiro set them on their way with a sensational bicycle kick from close range and the Brazilian used his goal as a platform for an overall excellent performance. And he had to be on his game because Bruno Fernandes, who has been United's key figure recently, played terribly.

Bournemouth stayed in the game and it was only thanks to some fine saves from David de Gea that the Cherries failed to score. United's long-suffering away fans savoured the moment when the full-time whistle came, but one man who was not happy was Anthony Martial, who blanked Ten Hag when he was the first player to be substituted.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Vitality Stadium.

GettyWINNER: Casemiro and Varane

In their days at Real Madrid, Casemiro and Varane were used to winning the Champions League practically every season, so imagine how they have felt being unable to play in the competition at all this season. But thanks to hugely impressive performances from both players here, they are almost certain to be playing in Europe's elite competition again next season with United.

Casemiro just loves playing against Bournemouth. Two of his three Premier League goals for United have come against Gary O'Neil's side, but this is easily the best of any of his strikes for the Red Devils. The Brazil midfielder followed the flight of Christian Eriksen's lofty pass, and when Marcos Senesi got there first to send the ball higher into the air, Casemiro conjured up a jaw-dropping bicycle kick. His compatriot Neto in the Bournemouth goal stood no chance.

The goal was exactly what Casemiro needed after a series of bad performances following his four-match domestic suspension. And he played with more confidence and energy than in recent weeks, dominating the midfield and helping out the defence when United needed to dig their heels in late in the game.

Varane was also inspirational. The Frenchman looked a little off the pace in his first game back in over a month against Wolves last week, but he was back to full strength on the south coast, winning challenges with conviction and spraying the ball all across the pitch from the back.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Anthony Martial

The Frenchman had not scored, but he was enjoying one of his better performances when he looked up in shock and saw his number nine being held up to come off inside the hour mark. Martial could not hide his anger, and when he left the pitch to be replaced by Wout Weghorst, he blanked Ten Hag.

The Dutch coach has often praised Martial and has said on more than one occasion that United play their best football when he is in the team. But he has also expressed doubts about his fitness levels and clearly does not trust him to finish matches without getting injured.

With just two games of the season to go, Martial has not completed 90 minutes in any match in all competitions in 2022-23. And his propensity to get injured is one of the reasons why the club have prioritised signing a striker this summer.

But blanking Ten Hag was a sign of petulance, and the former Ajax boss has demonstrated before that he does not like having his authority questioned.

Getty ImagesWINNER: David de Gea

This was the type of match De Gea relishes. Bournemouth kept United on their toes and the Spaniard was forced to make three fine saves during the game. First he thwarted Dominic Solanke, then tipped over a powerful shot from David Brooks. His final save from Kieffer Moore was vintage De Gea, making himself big in a one-on-one situation by stretching out his legs and making a barrier to block the shot.

It was the perfect way for the Spaniard to record his 17th clean sheet of the season, which guaranteed he will win the Premier League Golden Glove for the most matches without conceding a goal. It is the second time he has won the award, which he also collected in the 2017-18 season.

The performance cannot gloss over the Spaniard's problems with playing the ball out with his feet, but it also proved he still has a lot more to give United.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Bruno Fernandes

There's no other way to put this: Fernandes had a shocker of a game. He kept on losing possession and played hardly any key passes of note, having set up both goals in last week's win over Wolves. He didn't even protest the referee's decisions with his usual vitriol. The Portuguese's only contribution was a volley which Neto saved in the second half.

Perhaps we can put the performance down to tiredness. This was Fernandes' 35th Premier League match of the season – only De Gea has played more. Fernandes also played through the pain of a foot injury in April. It is understandable that in a season in which he has barely been able to rest more than three days between games, he was going to have one bad day at the office.