Andoni Iraola has backed departing Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen to shine at Actual Madrid after his £50million transfer was confirmed final week.
Huijsen arrived at Bournemouth from Juventus in 2024 and has performed an important position of their bid for European soccer, which ended with defeat to Manchester Metropolis in midweek.
He was additionally nominated for the Premier League’s Younger Participant of the Season award, having made 31 league appearances for the Cherries this marketing campaign.
Huijsen, who made his senior Spain debut in March, was reportedly attracting curiosity from Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea, however Madrid acted shortly to safe his companies.
He has averaged 4.1 progressive passes per 90 minutes within the Premier League this time period, the third-most amongst all centre-backs to play at the very least 1,500 minutes within the competitors.
“I’ve little question that he’s prepared for this leap,” Iraola stated. “Actual Madrid might be the most important membership on the earth, or one of many largest, however I believe he has the extent.
“Not solely on the soccer aspect, additionally the maturity, the arrogance in himself to go there and carry out.
“He’ll have a number of competitors to play, however I belief him rather a lot, and I believe he’s going to be excellent for Actual Madrid.”
Huijsen will play his remaining recreation for Bournemouth in entrance of the Vitality Stadium devoted in opposition to already-relegated Leicester Metropolis on Sunday.
The Foxes signed off their residence marketing campaign within the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Ipswich City, the place Jamie Vardy netted his two hundredth purpose for the membership in his five hundredth outing.
Leicester are unbeaten of their final three league video games, and can wish to finish an in any other case underwhelming season on a excessive in opposition to the Cherries.
And Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose future on the membership stays unsure, believes that the membership’s newest run of kind can solely be a constructive as they put together for all times within the second tier.
“There have been some good spells within the recreation. I believe, general, we gave away fairly just a few alternatives and probabilities again to Ipswich,” Van Nistelrooy stated.
“We may have executed higher in a few moments there, the place we didn’t defend or press the ball as we should always.
“We gave them slightly bit an excessive amount of, however we had been succesful to dam the photographs or they missed the alternatives so we had been a bit fortunate to not concede.
“However we’re altering the narrative and the deal with subsequent season, giving younger gamers an opportunity and a possibility. They’re doing very well and serving to the staff.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bournemouth – Evanilson
Evanilson has loved a strong debut marketing campaign for the Cherries, netting 10 league objectives for the membership this season, and he’ll wish to add to that tally on Sunday.
The Brazilian, nevertheless, has failed to attain at residence since a win over Ipswich City in the beginning of April, with solely three of his league objectives coming on the Vitality Stadium.
Some unbelievable stats away from residence this season pic.twitter.com/aVcFsgXwCu
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) Could 22, 2025
Leicester – Kasey McAteer
With Vardy enjoying his remaining recreation for Leicester in final week’s 2-0 win over Ipswich, McAteer shall be key for Van Nistelrooy’s staff on the high finish of the pitch.
He netted his first Premier League purpose final trip, whereas additionally ending with a team-high complete for photographs on track (two) on the King Energy Stadium in opposition to the Tractor Boys.
MATCH PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH WIN
Bournemouth are unbeaten in all six of their Premier League residence video games in opposition to Leicester (W4 D2), profitable the final three by an combination rating of 10-4.
However the Cherries have struggled of late. They’ve misplaced 5 of their final seven league residence video games (W1 D1). Certainly, for the reason that begin of February solely Ipswich (six) have misplaced extra at residence than Bournemouth (5).
Iraola’s staff have additionally misplaced their final two Premier League video games, final dropping three in a row final Could, which had been additionally their remaining three video games of the 2023-24 marketing campaign.
Leicester, in the meantime, shall be in search of a league double over Bournemouth for the primary time since 2013-14, having executed so within the Championship that 12 months. Their first win of the season additionally got here in opposition to the Cherries.
However the Foxes have misplaced their remaining league recreation in 4 of the final seven seasons (W2 D1), although they’ve received their final two as a Premier League aspect (vs Southampton in 2021-22 and West Ham United in 2022-23).
Leicester have received two of their final three top-flight video games (D1), as many as they’d of their earlier 26 (W2 D3 L21). They’ve additionally scored six objectives throughout their final three league video games, as many as of their earlier 19.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bournemouth – 66.9%
Draw – 18%
Leicester – 15.1%