Rasmus Hojlund rescued Manchester United with a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The stalemate offered a small boost ahead of their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club.
United struggled throughout a disjointed performance at the Vitality Stadium, falling behind after Patrick Dorgu lost possession deep inside his own half.
Bournemouth capitalized quickly, with Antoine Semenyo firing past Andre Onana to open the scoring.
Despite flashes of attacking intent, including a near-miss from Alejandro Garnacho, United lacked urgency and composure in front of goal.
The situation worsened in the second half, with Dango Ouattara striking the post from a free-kick as Bournemouth pushed to double their lead.
However, the momentum shifted after a VAR intervention saw Bournemouth’s Evanilson sent off for a foul on Noussair Mazraoui.
United piled on late pressure but were wasteful, with Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, and Chido Obi all squandering chances.
Hojlund, however, capitalised in the final moments, tapping home from close range after Bournemouth’s defence finally cracked under pressure.
The Denmark international’s goal was only his fourth in the Premier League this season, but it spared manager Ruben Amorim further scrutiny ahead of Thursday’s European tie.
United remain far outside the top four and the performance will offer little encouragement as they prepare for the critical trip to Bilbao.
