Manchester United vs Athletic Club – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Manchester United have one foot in the Europa League final following their emphatic 3-0 win over Athletic Club last week.

At the weekend, the Red Devils were on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller as they lost 4-3 to Brentford.

Despite the defeat, there were still some positives for manager Ruben Amorim. Mason Mount scored his first goal in over a year, while Amad Diallo played the entire second half and also netted following a lengthy spell out injured.

Noussair Mazraoui, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Rasmus Holjund were fully rested and are all expected to start this evening.

However, Matthijs de Ligt is set for another spell on the sidelines after suffering a slight knock. Christian Eriksen has also missed training but could still be named in the squad. De Ligt joins Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee and Ayden Heaven on the treatment table.

Athletic Club may have missed their chance to fight for the Europa League crown on home soil after shipping three goals at home to United.

Defender Daniel Vivian is suspended tonight after being shown a straight red card last Thursday. Crucially, Nico and Inaki Williams haven’t travelled to Manchester and are both unavailable. Nico is nursing a foot injury while his older brother, Inaki, is dealing with the effects of a thigh issue. Alone, the brothers have contributed to 38 goals for the Basque-based club this season.

That double injury blow compounds Ernesto Valverde’s misery as the Spaniard will still be without top scorer Oihan Sancet. The midfielder missed the first leg in Bilbao and hasn’t recovered in time to make an impact this evening.

Manchester United vs Athletic Club – Match preview and team news

Form

Manchester United: WLDWL

Manchester United lost their 16th league game of the season at the hands of Brentford on Sunday.

Mason Mount’s opener was a distant memory by the 75th minute as the rampant Bees put four past Altay Bayindir.

Goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Amad salvaged some pride for the Red Devils, but couldn’t stop them from losing in the capital.

United slipped into 15th position due to Everton earning a point against Ipswich Town on Saturday.

However, the red half of Manchester are comfortable favourites to make the Europa League final. If they manage to lift the coveted trophy, the narrative of the season changes. It will go from one of their worst seasons in modern history to one of their most successful in the last decade – in terms of silverware.

Athletic Club: WLWLD

Athletic Club remained inside the top four of La Liga following their 0-0 draw with rivals Real Sociedad at the weekend.

It was their seventh goalless draw of the campaign, but a positive result considering their injury problems.

Villarreal’s victory over Osasuna means Athletic Club’s cushion over the chasing pack for Champions League qualification was reduced to three points.

The Spanish outfit need to conjure up one of the most unlikeliest comebacks in Europa League history to progress into the final tonight.

Last Meeting: Athletic Club 0-3 Manchester United, Europa League, 1st May 2025.

Manchester United have one foot in the Europa League final after causing a massive upset in Bilbao.

The contest began at a frenetic pace, with the hosts having two presentable chances inside the opening 10 minutes.

Despite slipping, Alex Berenguer tested Andre Onana from range before Inaki Williams ghosted in between two United defenders to narrowly head over the crossbar.

Instinctive defending from Victor Lindelof kept the scoreline goalless as the Swede heroically blocked Berenguer’s shot on the line.

On the half-hour mark, the visitors broke the deadlock against the run of play. Harry Maguire momentarily transformed into a tricky winger to conjure up the chance. The 32-year-old evaded the attention of Mikel Jauregizar before delivering a dangerous cross. Manuel Ugarte flicked on towards the back post, where Casemiro was unmarked to head in on his return to Spain.

Athletic Club’s night went from bad to worse within seconds as Daniel Vivian got into a tussle with Rasmus Hojlund in the six-yard box. A lengthy VAR check indicated the defender had impeded the Dane, and United were awarded a penalty. To compound their misery, Vivian was also shown a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

Bruno Fernandes dispatched the spot-kick with ease to silence the San Mames Stadium. United’s skipper then grabbed his brace by finishing an intricate team move. Ugarte delicately flicked the ball into Fernandes, who ruthlessly finished past Julen Agirrezabala.

Noussair Mazraoui came inches away from adding a fourth goal before the interval, but his thunderous strike cannoned off the crossbar.

After the break, Ruben Amorim’s side missed opportunities to inflict further damage on their numerically disadvantaged opponents. Despite this, the Red Devils still have a strong lead over their Spanish counterparts heading into the second leg.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester United: Onana; Mazraoui, Lindelof, Maguire, Yoro, Dorgu; Ugarte, Casemiro; Garnacho, Fernandes, Hojlund.

Athletic Club: Simon; De Marcos, Paredes, Alvarez, Berchiche; De Galarreta, Jauregizar; Sannadi, Gomez, Berenguer; Guruzeta.

Who is the referee?

German referee Daniel Siebert will be the match official. Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn will assist him, while Tobias Stieler will be the fourth official. Christian Dingert will be on VAR duty, and Soren Storks will assist him.

What TV channel is Manchester United vs Athletic Club on?

TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and Discovery+ UK is where you can watch Manchester United vs Athletic Club.

What time is kick-off?

Kick-off at Old Trafford will be at 20:00 BST on Thursday, 8th May 2025.

Manchester United vs Athletic Club Betting Odds

Manchester United: 17/20

Draw: 3/1

Athletic Club: 3/1

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