With the worst record in the Premier League since its formation, with 16 defeats in England’s best competition, with a coach who plays a formation for which he doesn’t have the right players, with only one healthy striker, Manchester United are only 90 minutes away from the Champions League! The Red Devils are in the final of Europa League (as expected) as the 3-0 score in Bilbao proved too much for the Spanish team. The game ended 4-1 at Old Trafford, but even tonight United had to make a drama and were losing 1-0 until 72nd minute. Now it doesn’t matter that the first leg was won by a suspicios penalty and a red card, it doesn’t matter that Athletic Bilbao came to Manchester without its three starters (Williams brother and their first striker), all that matters is that Ruben Amorim’s team can end this horrible season with a trophy and a Champions League spot.TOTTENHAM ARE EUROPA LEAGUE FINALISTS! 👏 pic.twitter.com/1CCMUZigS0— Squawka (@Squawka) May 8, 2025 No side has recovered after a first-leg defeat by three or more goals to win a semi-final tie in this competition and it didn’t happen tonight either. Athletic Bilbao is maybe in better form and shape than United, but after a 3-0 loss at home and without three key players in the rematch, the club which is already crippled by his own rule of using only Basque players didn’t have a chance. That doesn’t mean that they gave up. In fact, they took the lead and had the initiative, but when Mason Mount found the net 20 minutes from time, it was all over. The other three goals came at the very end, when Bilbao players finally gave up. Those three goals are more for pumping up their own morale, than anything else for United, who are now facing an all-English final, as Tottenham won their away leg in Norway. ◎ Benfica (13/14)◎ Chelsea (18/19)◎ Inter (19/20)◎ Villarreal (20/21)◎ Eintracht Frankfurt (21/22)◎ Bayer Leverkusen (23/24)◉ Manchester United (24/25) 🆕#MUFC become only the seventh side to reach the #UEL final without losing a single match on the way. 👏 pic.twitter.com/IhXNPnJSRU— WhoScored (@WhoScored) May 8, 2025 The first half was quite boring but we did see two excellent United’s chances and one goal from Athletic. Both chances came via Garnacho. In the 16th minute, he came sprinting towards the goal in the counter attack, but the Spanish keeper Agirrezabala anticipated well and rushed out of his goal just in time to kick the ball out of play. The other one was even better. Knowing that Bilbao must attack as they were trailing three goals, Ruben Amorim instructed his players to play on counter attack and from one of those Garnacho had a colossal chance in the 43rd minute. Dorgu gave him the ball in open space and he was all alone in front of the keeper but managed to miss the entire goal in attempt to lob Agirrezabala. In between, we only saw Athletic’s goal and that was a true beauty! Jauregizar curled the ball into the top corner from over 20 meters in the 31st minute after Maquire failed to get the ball out properly. The shot was unstoppable.‘We are the worst team since I arrived to Manchester’The second half was even worse until the 65th minute, when we saw the first chance from both teams. It was a free kick from 25 meters and Athletic’s defender Unai Nunez was totally unmarked. His header went just near the far bar as Onana was beaten already. The Red Devils were playing bad but Mason Mount, who came in half an hour before time scored his second goal in as many games and cleared any doubt about the final outcome. Five minutes later United created a total turnover when Casemiro used a free kick to head the ball to the top corner for the final 2-1. The Spanish team totally gave up and United used it to score more goals until the end. Even Hojlund found the net before Mount scored a brace in injury time for the final result. UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE – SEMI-FINALSThursdayBodo – Tottenham 0-2 (0-0)/Solanke 63, Porro 69/Manchester United – Athletic Bilbao 4-1 (0-1)/Mount 72, 90+1, Casemiro 80, Hojlund 85 – Jauregizar 31/
