Athletic Club vs Manchester United: Europa League Semifinal Preview
Manchester United are gearing up for a critical clash as they head to the Basque Country to face Athletic Club in the first leg of their Europa League semifinal on Thursday.
Earlier this month, United seemed destined for elimination in the quarter-finals against French team Lyon. Facing a 6-4 aggregate deficit with just six minutes of extra time left, Ruben Amorim’s squad mounted an extraordinary comeback at Old Trafford, scoring three late goals to claim a 5-4 victory on the night, thus advancing to the semifinals.
Domestically, the Red Devils have struggled, sitting in 14th place after drawing with Bournemouth over the weekend. Nonetheless, the Europa League presents an opportunity to turn around their challenging season.
Yet, overcoming Athletic Club will be no small feat. The Spanish side is tantalizingly close to a dream finale at home in the Europa League this May. After cruising past Rangers, they’ve been a formidable force during the league phase. Currently fourth in La Liga, Ernesto Valverde’s men are well-positioned for Champions League qualification next season.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s comprehensive guide to Thursday’s face-off in Bilbao.
Match Details:
- Location: Bilbao, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio de San Mamés
- Date: Thursday, May 1
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: Andreas Eskås (NOR)
- VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo (ITA)
Athletic Club vs. Man Utd Head-to-Head Record (All Competitions):
- Athletic Club: 3 wins
- Man Utd: 1 win
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Athletic Club 2-1 Man Utd (March 15, 2012) - Europa League
Current Form (All Competitions): | Athletic Club | Man Utd | | — | — | | Athletic Club 1-0 Las Palmas - 23/04/25 | Bournemouth 1-1 Man Utd - 27/04/25 | | Real Madrid 1-0 Athletic Club - 20/04/25 | Man Utd 0-1 Wolves - 20/04/25 | | Athletic Club 2-0 Rangers - 17/04/25 | Man Utd 5-4 Lyon - 17/04/25 | | Athletic Club 3-1 Rayo Vallecano - 13/04/25 | Newcastle 4-1 Man Utd - 13/04/25 | | Rangers 0-0 Athletic Club - 10/04/25 | Lyon 2-2 Man Utd - 10/04/25 |
Where to Watch Athletic Club vs Man Utd: | Country | TV Channel/Live Stream | | — | — | | United States | Paramount+, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, TUDN USA, UniMás | | United Kingdom | discovery+, discovery+ app, TNT Sports 1 | | Canada | DAZN Canada | | Mexico | Amazon Prime Video, Fox Sports Mexico, Fox Sports Premium |
Athletic Club Team News: Athletic Club will likely miss their leading scorer, Oihan Sancet, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in the recent 1-0 triumph over Las Palmas. Fortunately for the home side, Nico Williams will be available after a brief injury scare and is expected to start on the left wing. Unai Gomez could return to help alleviate Sancet’s absence, with Inaki Williams possibly sitting out of the starting XI.
Athletic Club Predicted Line-up vs. Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Simon; De Marcos, Vivian, Yeray, Lekue; Ruiz, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Nunez, N. Williams; Sannadi.
Manchester United Team News: Manchester United will head into the first leg missing several key players. Diogo Dalot is out with a calf issue, joined by Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo, Joshua Zirkzee, and Ayden Heaven on the sidelines. Additionally, fitness concerns may keep Matthijs de Ligt, Toby Collyer, and Altay Bayindir from featuring.
Despite starting over the weekend, Luke Shaw is expected to drop to the bench, with Rasmus Hojlund likely leading the attack following his game-saving equalizer at Bournemouth.
Man Utd Predicted Line-up vs Athletic Club (3-4-2-1): Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.
Athletic Club vs Man Utd Score Prediction: Manchester United have shown glimpses of brilliance under Amorim in the Europa League. However, the task ahead at San Mames is formidable, with its passionate Basque crowd ready to support their team fervently. Although United’s recent defensive displays hint at growing solidity, this encounter is poised to challenge them significantly. Athletic Club might not overpower the Red Devils, but they are well-equipped to seize a victory to carry into the second leg at Old Trafford.
Prediction: Athletic Club 2-1 Man Utd.