Manchester United are just 90 minutes away from securing a place in this season’s Europa League final following a commanding 3-0 victory over Athletic Club on Thursday night.
Rúben Amorim’s side, despite a disappointing domestic campaign, have continued to shine in Europe and now hold a comfortable aggregate lead heading into next week’s second leg.
Casemiro opened the scoring in the 30th minute after United weathered an early surge from the hosts in Bilbao. The match took a pivotal turn when Daniel Vivian was sent off for a foul on Rasmus Højlund, resulting in a penalty.
Bruno Fernandes converted from the spot in the 37th minute and struck again just before half-time to make it three. United hit the woodwork twice across both halves, and if not for several key saves from Julen Agirrezabala, the scoreline could have been even more emphatic.
“It’s the best result because nobody expected this result,” Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said. “But you saw two games today – the first 25 minutes and then, after the goal and the sending-off, the game changed.
“In the second half, we tried to be cautious and we created chances but the most important thing is the opponent didn’t get many shots on our goal.
“We’ve improved in the last games. I don’t look just at the results. We had some games that we won that we didn’t play well and some games we lost but played well. Sometimes you need a little bit of luck,” concluded Amorim.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are likely to meet fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the final, after Spurs cruised to a 4-1 win over Norwegian semifinal debutants Bodø/Glimt.
Brennan Johnson gave the hosts an explosive start in north London with a goal inside the opening minute. James Maddison doubled the lead before half-time, and Dominic Solanke added a third from the penalty spot just after the hour mark.
Ulrik Saltnes grabbed a late consolation for Bodø/Glimt, offering a glimmer of hope ahead of next Thursday’s return leg.
However, it’s Ange Postecoglou’s side who remain strong favourites to advance, as they continue their pursuit of a first trophy in 17 years.
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