Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao go head-to-head at Old Trafford in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final.
Date: 08/05/2025
Location: Old Trafford
Time: 8pm
The first leg of this tie resulted in a stunning 3-0 win for Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames as Casemiro opened the scoring in the 30th-minute of the game, before Dani Vivian was sent off in the 35th-minute of the game after pulling back Rasmus Hojlund in the penalty area, resulting in Bruno Fernandes doubling the Red Devils lead from the spot before the talismanic Portuguese midfielder added a third goal for United in the 45th-minute.
United’s whole season is reliant on winning this competition, as they are having a dismal 2024/25 league season, as Ruben Amorim’s side sit 15th with 39 points from 35 matches, meaning that they are set to have their worst league campaign since 1989/90.
The Red Devils Europa League form has been impressive though, as they finished third in the Group Stage with 18 points from eight matches, while in the knockout stages, Amorim’s side have progressed past Real Sociedad 5-2 on aggregate as well as Lyon via a dramatic 7-6 scoreline having scored three goals in the last six minutes of extra time against the Ligue 1 outfit to advance to the semi-finals.
On the other hand, Athletic Bilbao’s league season has been much smoother than their opponents, as Ernesto Valverde’s men are fourth in La Liga with four matches to go, as they have accumulated 61 points, meaning that they are four points clear of sixth-place Real Betis who are fighting for the final Champions League qualification place.
In the knockout stages of this competition, Bilbao had managed narrow 2-0 and 4-3 victories over Rangers and AS Roma, while in the Group Stage of the Europa League, they actually finished second in the standings with 19 points from eight games.
