Athletic Club 0 Manchester United 3 - Crushing win, penalty drama, Maguire the winger, and a Europa League final against Spurs?

Manchester United took a huge step towards reaching the Europa League final by beating the 10 men of Athletic Club 3-0 in a dramatic semi-final first leg in Bilbao.

Athletic looked sharper in the early exchanges, but after taking the lead through a Casemiro header after some remarkable Harry Maguire wing play, the game (and possibly the tie) turned on a penalty and a red card.

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Dani Vivian was judged to have held back Rasmus Hojlund in the six-yard box and was sent off after a VAR review on 37 minutes, with Bruno Fernandes scoring from the spot and then adding a third eight minutes later.

United had chances to score a fourth in the second half but now return to Old Trafford next week in an incredibly strong position and on course to face Tottenham Hotspur back in Bilbao on May 21.

Here, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell, Carl Anka, Dermot Corrigan and Anantaajith Raghuraman break down the key talking points.

Have Manchester United saved an awful season?

Amorim reiterated his point about the Europa League being unable to save United’s season on the eve of this game, a stance he made more forcefully ahead of the last-16 tie against Real Sociedad.

He added nuance to that statement after first voicing it, admitting that the silverware and passage to Champions League football would at least set up next season better.

“We know that nothing is going to save our season, but this can be huge,” Amorim said. “Winning a trophy and also to get in the Champions League, to have European games next year, could change a lot of things in our club, even in the summer.”

United still need to finish the job at Old Trafford and win the final, but achieve that and the way they could approach the transfer market would be transformed. A move for Wolves’ Matheus Cunha is looking promising, while talks have been held over Liam Delap at Ipswich, but a bigger budget and a place at Europe’s top table would open many possibilities to reshape Amorim’s squad.

Adding goals to the team is the main priority, even if nights like Bilbao make it seem like that is no issue. Heading into the game, Athletic held one of the meanest defensive records in Europe, but United had scored 28 goals in 12 Europa League games, not once failing to find the net. Their three goals nudged that figure higher.

Laurie Whitwell

How are we heading for a possible Spurs vs Man Utd final?

Manchester United have lost 15 Premier League matches this season and sit 14th in the table. Tottenham Hotspur have suffered 19 defeats and lie in 16th. Yet both sides went about their semi-final first legs as if they were the best teams in England, playing with supreme confidence week-to-week.

How have two underperforming English teams been so convincing in Europe? Manuel Ugarte’s pre-match interview on Wednesday made the situation plain.

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“The main difference is the physical part,” said the defensive midfielder about how the Europa League compares to domestic misadventures, echoing previous statements made by his head coach.

“We have felt better playing in the Europa League. Then, as the coach said, we had games in the Premier League where we had opportunities and we didn’t score.”

This season has seen United and Spurs beaten up and bullied by Premier League sides that play with an increased focus on physicality and transitional play. Anthony Elanga needed fewer than 10 seconds to run from one penalty box to another to score against United at the start of April. Ange Postecoglou has bemoaned the injury issues that have affected his side (similar to Erik ten Hag last season) and his Spurs team have been particularly weak when guarding against counter-attacks in the Premier League.

And yet when it comes to Europa League duties, the bullied become the bullies.

Yes, the financial strength of the Premier League means both United and Spurs should have been heavy favourites to reach the final in Bilbao, but it has been interesting to watch both groups of underperforming players find their stride during Thursday outings.

Athletic mustered the most intense pressing scheme United have faced in the competition. Unfortunately, it still offered an additional fraction of a second on the ball. Casemiro, Maguire, Fernandes and others used that extra beat to flourish.

Football fans in Bilbao have gone from imagining Athletic playing a dream final at their home stadium to wondering whether their city has enough hotels, pubs and police to deal with an all-English final.

Carl Anka

The penalty, the red card and the Garnacho ‘handball’ claim

Manchester United in Europe this season have guaranteed goals… and red cards.

After Jon Aramburu was sent off for Real Sociedad in the round of 16 and Lyon captain Corentin Tolisso saw red in the quarter-finals, Dani Vivian joined them tonight after a chaotic sequence of events.

Having conceded just minutes earlier, Inigo Gallareta was dispossessed by a crunching Manuel Ugarte tackle near the halfway line. Ugarte found Rasmus Hojlund before peeling away to the left, with the United striker sliding a pass to Alejandro Garnacho on the right. Garnacho slipped as the ball reached him, controlling with his chest while on the floor, but picked himself up to keep possession.

That allowed Noussair Mazraoui to overlap at pace and Garnacho found him. Mazraoui sent a dangerous low cross towards the penalty spot, with Hojlund, positioned between the centre-backs, stretching to reach it but falling short and then protesting he had been held.

Hojlund fails to reach the ball but has been fouled (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

As Hojlund remained on the turf and frantically appealed for a penalty — Fernandes, Mazraoui and Ugarte also turned to the officials — Vivian approached Hojlund and mouthed something to him before retreating as Patrick Dorgu collected the second ball and won a corner.

Vivian had initially had his hands on Hojlund’s shoulders (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

While the players lined up for the set piece, a lengthy VAR check was underway, with the Athletic players — who had not appealed when Garnacho received the original pass — now asking for a handball on Garnacho.

The VAR check began with the clock at 32:10, with Vivian seemingly explaining to Hojlund why he thought it was not a penalty.

Referee Espen Eskas took his time viewing the incident back on the screen before signalling for a penalty nearly two-and-a-half minutes later and sending Vivian off, to his shock, but the Athletic player was the last man and had not attempted to play the ball in committing the foul.

Fernandes rolled in the resulting penalty, a kick in the gut for the hosts who had caused United one problem after another in the opening 20 minutes.

What added to the anger of Athletic was that Garnacho appeared to have handled the ball while rising off the ground in the build-up, though that phase of play would usually also have been checked and cleared by the VAR.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

Is Harry Maguire a winger as well as a striker?

Harry Maguire saw Lamine Yamal’s performance against Inter and said, “Hold my beer.” When it comes to bold wing play, it seems there are few who can match Maguire for dazzling feet. Did somebody say Ballon d’Or?

Picking up where he left off in the last round, Maguire created the opening goal in a way nobody expected. Having stayed up from a poor Fernandes free kick, where he had peeled to the back post for a heading opportunity as against Lyon, Maguire was in space on the right wing to receive the ball once Garnacho got back to his feet.

Facing Mikel Jauregizar, Athletic’s defensive midfielder, Maguire chose to try something rather than play it safe. First, he drove with the ball down the line, faking a touch to create a gap. Then came the cutback that totally threw Jauregizar.

But rather than hand possession to a team-mate nearby, Maguire beat Jauregizar again in the opposite direction, adding a crucial nudge to secure room for the cross.

Maguire’s delivery was perfect for Ugarte, whose glance on provided Casemiro with the simple finish. United having men in the box from the set piece made all the difference.

Mike Phelan, who coached Maguire at Hull City and United, as assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, told The Athletic on the eve of this match not to underestimate the 32-year-old. “He likes scoring goals, he is more than just a defender, Harry,” Phelan said. “He is a football player.”

Maguire missed the 2021 Europa League final against Villarreal through injury. He will be desperate to play in the 2025 showpiece.

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“It was nice to do a bit of dribbling,” Maguire said. “I saw a lot of bodies in the box — they must have trusted me to get that cross in!”

Laurie Whitwell

Fernandes makes the difference… again

Looking at the post-Ferguson era of Manchester United, there’s Bruno Fernandes and then there’s everyone else.

Fernandes has always been good when wearing a United shirt. He has rarely been this great. This season, his side has needed him to produce more than ever and he has responded to that call with gusto. The final scoreline looks convincing, but it’s worth remembering how shaky Amorim’s men were for the opening 20 minutes (Garnacho’s offside goal aside).

Fernandes doesn’t shake and once Casemiro gave United the lead in the 30th minute, the club captain took it upon himself to turn the screw. There was a lengthy pause between Vivian’s foul on Hojlund and referee Espen Eska’s decision to award a penalty. Still, Fernandes was at his typically cool best when converting the spot kick.

His run-up technique is well documented, but remains near-impossible to stop. Unlike other practitioners of the “hop-skip-and-jump” penalty, the pace Fernandes hits the ball gives his penalties an extra bit of vim. Julen Agirrezabala went the wrong way for this penalty and Fernandes slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.

Yet Fernandes helped guard against complacency when United were 2-0 up against 10 men. His second goal of the game saw him pick up Ugarte’s flick on through the heart of Athletic’s defence. The United captain was 10 yards out with Agirrezabala bearing down on him, eager to be a hero. Fernandes’ response was a clever dink over the goalkeeper to send the away fans into delirium.

Need someone to progress the ball from midfield? There is Fernandes. Need someone to whip in a cross? There is Fernandes. Need your confidence-stricken side to put the ball in the net? Fernandes can provide.

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The 2024-25 campaign has even seen him address his difficulty when receiving the ball under pressure. After so many years — and so many matches — Fernandes has found a new part to his game, giving Amorim another option in deeper midfield areas.

Before a ball was kicked, the Opta supercomputers gave Athletic a 46 per cent chance of winning this first leg (United were given a 24 per cent chance). Supercomputers still can’t legislate for the totality of Fernandes. He is the straw that stirs the drink. The shining star around which United’s other players orbit.

Carl Anka

Will Bilbao prove a great final venue?

All through the day around the city, then in the streets near the stadium, and finally inside the ground, there was a real sense of a special occasion and something historic building for Athletic Club and their fans.

By half-time, the Basque team’s dreams of playing for a European trophy in their home stadium were all but certainly crushed. But the San Mames atmosphere had shown itself well capable of hosting such a showpiece occasion.

Soon after United’s previous visit in 2012, the old crumbling stadium was knocked down completely, with an all-new modern bowl built over an extended footprint, which will host games at the World Cup in 2030. The facilities for fans (and media) are excellent, as are the acoustics — Bruno managed to ignore tremendous noise before calmly slotting his penalty home, while ear-splitting whistles were aimed at the referee as he left the pitch at the break.

Bilbao also has no shortage of bars and restaurants for visiting supporters — in the old town across the river and the more modern streets around the stadium. The atmosphere in the city will be excellent for the final, although barring a spectacular turnaround, there will be deep disappointment at their team having missed their chance to take part.

Dermot Corrigan

What next for Manchester United?

Sunday, May 4: Brentford (Away), Premier League, 2pm UK, 9am ET

(Top photo: Juanma – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

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