Player Ratings: United Hit Four to Seal Europa League Final Spot | OneFootball

Man United Crush Athletic Bilbao to Set Up Europa League Final with Spurs

Late Surge Seals Old Trafford Triumph

On nights like these, with the floodlights glaring down and Old Trafford bristling with nerves, the past feels close enough to touch. Manchester United, once specialists in the improbable, found that old rhythm again—eventually.

What started with a wobble ended in full stride, as United stormed past Athletic Bilbao 4-1 on the night, completing a comprehensive 7-1 aggregate victory to book their place in the Europa League final. That the Basques briefly threatened to make a contest of it only added to the drama.

Bilbao Strike First, Briefly Dream

Athletic, trailing by three from the first leg in Bilbao, arrived with hope rather than expectation. Yet Mikel Jauregizar’s swerving, long-range opener injected something raw into the tie. His strike—a flash of brilliance—shocked United and stirred memories of past collapses. For a moment, the air turned restless.

The visitors buzzed with intent, their passing crisp and purposeful. Manchester United looked uncertain, their midfield static, their press uncoordinated. But that tension did not last.

Mount Inspires as United Take Control

Enter Mason Mount. Introduced in the second half, his impact was immediate and electric. A swift spin, a clean finish, and just like that, the nerves dissolved. “A moment of magic” was how some described it, but it was more than that—it was a signal that the comeback, if it ever truly began, was over.

Casemiro glanced in Bruno Fernandes’ teasing free-kick to put United in front, and Rasmus Hojlund followed up with a poacher’s finish from Amad Diallo’s low cross. Julen Agirrezabala’s mishit clearance late on allowed Mount to double his tally with a perfectly weighted strike from just inside the halfway line. Brutal. Efficient. Unforgiving.

All-English Final Awaits

Ruben Amorim’s side, for all the mid-season upheaval and tactical adjustment, are now within touching distance of silverware. They will meet Tottenham in an all-English Europa League final in Bilbao—an occasion steeped in narrative, pressure, and opportunity.

Champions League football is the prize, but so too is restoration of identity. United have been many things this season—disjointed, disheartened, occasionally dazzling. This performance, however, suggested that belief, perhaps more than form, will carry them through Europe’s corridors of tension.

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