May 02, (THEWILL) – Manchester United have positioned themselves favourably for a UEFA Europa League final appearance after defeating Athletic Club 3-0 in the first leg of their semi-final tie on Thursday evening. The comprehensive victory in Bilbao gives Ruben Amorim’s team a substantial advantage heading into the return fixture next week.
The match began with Athletic Club applying early pressure, but United withstood the initial attacks before Casemiro opened the scoring. The momentum shifted further when Daniel Vivian received a red card for fouling Rasmus Hojlund inside the penalty area, allowing Bruno Fernandes to convert from the spot and double United’s lead.
Fernandes added his second goal and United’s third before half-time, completing a dominant first-half display that effectively ended the contest. Despite their inconsistent domestic form throughout the 2024/2025 campaign, United continued to excel in European competition under Amorim’s guidance.
The English side demonstrated their attacking quality throughout the match, striking both the crossbar and post during the encounter. Athletic Club goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala prevented further damage with several impressive saves, standing out as his team’s best performer on a difficult night for the Spanish club.
United will now return to Manchester for the second leg with a commanding three-goal advantage, requiring only to avoid a substantial defeat to book their place in the final, a certain reprieve from what has otherwise been a challenging season domestically for the Old Trafford club.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
