Manchester United on the Brink of Europa League Final
Manchester United is on the verge of securing a spot in the Europa League final, needing only to avoid a defeat by more than two goals against Athletic Club in their semifinal’s second leg at Old Trafford. In the first leg, Manchester United achieved a commanding 3-0 victory in Bilbao, thanks to Bruno Fernandes’ double and Casemiro’s goal against a ten-man Athletic team. With this result, the Red Devils are in a strong position to advance, likely setting up a final showdown with either Tottenham Hotspur or Bodø/Glimt, with the former favored after their own 3-1 triumph.
However, United’s inconsistent home performances this season means they won’t be complacent during the visit from Athletic Club. Historically, only Valencia has managed to overturn a three-goal deficit in a knockout leg since the competition’s 2009 rebranding, when they defeated Basel 5-0 after extra time in the 2013-14 quarterfinals. Athletic Club looks to replicate this rare feat, drawing some hope from United’s less-than-stellar eight home losses in the current Premier League season.
Here’s what to know for the highly anticipated second leg:
Match Details:
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Old Trafford
- Date: Thursday, May 8
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
- VAR: Christian Dingert (Germany)
Head-to-Head Record (All Competitions):
- Athletic Club: 3 wins
- Manchester United: 2 wins
- Draws: 0
Recent Form (All Competitions): | Manchester United | Athletic Club | | — | — | | Brentford 4-3 Manchester United – 04/05/25 | Real Sociedad 0-0 Athletic Club – 04/05/25 | | Athletic Club 0-3 Manchester United – 01/05/25 | Athletic Club 0-3 Manchester United – 01/05/25 | | Bournemouth 1-1 Manchester United – 27/04/25 | Athletic Club 1-0 Las Palmas – 23/04/25 | | Manchester United 0-1 Wolves – 20/04/25 | Real Madrid 1-0 Athletic Club – 20/04/25 | | Manchester United 5-4 Lyon – 17/04/25 | Athletic Club 2-0 Rangers – 17/04/25 |
TV Information: - United States: Paramount+, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, ViX, TUDN USA, UniMás - United Kingdom: TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, discovery+ App - Canada: DAZN Canada - Mexico: Disney+ Premium Mexico, ESPN Mexico
Team News:
Manchester United faces several player absences as Matthijs de Ligt is sidelined with an injury sustained in a recent 4-3 loss to Brentford. Manager Ruben Amorim also confirmed that young talents Ayden Heaven and Toby Collyer, along with Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee, and Lisandro Martínez, will be unavailable. On a brighter note, Noussair Mazraoui and Christian Eriksen are ready to play, and Amad Diallo returned to the Premier League with a goal last weekend.
Predicted Manchester United Lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Lindelöf; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Garnacho, Højlund, Fernandes.
Athletic Club will be without several key players, including Nico and Iñaki Williams, and attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet. Dani Vivian is suspended after his dismissal in the first leg, though 0scar de Marcos and Unai Gómez are fit to play.
Predicted Athletic Club Lineup (4-2-3-1): Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Paredes, Yeray, Berchiche; De Galarreta, Jauregizar; Djaló, Gómez, Berenguer; Sannadi.
Score Prediction: Manchester United is expected to confirm their place in the final as they’ve shown strong performances against international rivals this season. Despite Athletic Club’s depleted squad, United’s confidence remains high, and their victory seems probable. Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Athletic Club.