Tactical Analysis: Athletic Club vs Manchester United | OneFootball

Manchester United will face a mountainous task when they travel to Bilbao tonight to face Athletic Club in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final.

While Ruben Amorim’s side has suffered a dismal Premier League campaign, the Europa League offers them one glimmer of hope for restoring some pride in the club this season.

Furthermore, winning the Europa League title is the only pathway Man United have toward qualifying for next season’s Champions League, which will be crucial not only in terms of financing but also in the transfer market, as European football could be a deciding factor for many transfer targets when selecting their next club.

As such, it is imperative that United get a good result in tonight’s clash, especially so that they can take some of the pressure off when hosting the Spanish side in the return clash next week.

Looking at Athletic’s record this season, it’s clear that they are formidable opponents who may just be favourites going into the clash.

Conceding just 26 goals in 33 matches, Athletic have the best defensive record in La Liga this season.

In Europe, they have been just as defensively solid, coming away with a clean sweep 2-0 aggregate win over Rangers in the quarter-finals.

Clearly, Athletic’s rigid defence can be expected to cause United headaches in tonight’s match.

Recently, it appears as if United have been doing their utmost to overcome their lack of goals, having earned a point with a late goal against a high-flying Bournemouth last weekend.

Still, even one goal seems insufficient given how United dominated the match with 62% possession and a whopping 25 shots on goal.

This greatly mirrored their thrilling 5-4 win over Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals, where they took 21 shots and greatly dominated during the first half as well as after Lyon went a man down in the 89th minute.

But, much like in the Bournemouth match, United required late goals to save themselves from defeat, with Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire both scoring in stoppage time in extra time.

During their humiliating 1-0 loss at home to Wolves just a week prior to the Bournemouth match, United were the dominant side statistically, yet failed to convert their chances.

Also, much like in the Lyon and Bournemouth games, they seemed to spark to life in the dying minutes, which is when they created some of their most likely scoring chances.

These included a near miss from Bruno Fernandes in the 73rd minute, moments before Wolves found the back of the net, two shots from Mason Mount after the 82nd minute, and stoppage time attempts by Alejandro Garnacho and Fernandes yet again. (Sofascore)

What has become clear from United’s recent results is that they tend to switch off for large portions of the match, instead whipping themselves into gear late in the game when it’s almost too late to obtain a positive result.

Although Athletic may not have the best scoring record in La Liga, with 50 goals to date, they remain a hard-working, resolute side capable of coming away with results against the strongest teams in Spain and Europe at large.

This means that, given United’s tendency to only ramp up their focus late in the second half, one or two goals may be all that Athletic need in order to overcome Amorim’s team, especially given the Spanish side’s stalwart defence.

If United hope to come away with a decent result tonight, they will need to be alert from the start of the match while also ensuring that they remain creative up top, attempting to breach Athletic’s defence from different angles and at varying distances.

After all, a lack of creativity has also been United’s downfall as of late, not to mention a glaring reason why their results are often disappointing despite their statistical dominance. The continued struggles of players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, and even Bruno Fernandes at times have become predictable for many United fans, and surely members of the opposition.

Ultimately, United need to understand that they are set to face what could arguably be their biggest test of the season.

Amorim’s team will need to remain alert at all times, both at the back and up top, while also being innovative when creating goal-scoring opportunities so as to truly test the Athletic defence.

This is the only way that they’ll have any chance of getting the better of a far more consistent team in what could be a night that makes or breaks their season.

Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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