Manchester United booked a date with Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League after beating the Athletic Club in Old Trafford.
The Red Devils had an impressive three-goal pillow from the semi-finals of the past week, but Mikel Jauregizar’s excellent start had the home fans, who feared an unanimous comeback at half-time.
But these worries were disassembled with four goals with four goals in the second half, with Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund being embedded between the wonderful gates between the wonderful gates of Mason Mount.
How the game unfolds
The Merry Old Trafford amount was in an exceptional voice from the first minute, but there was little action on the field to further increase decibels during the opening exchanges. Athletic, without its best strikers, could not raise any devastating sequences, while United’s attack spark was almost completely absent.
Bruno Fernandes saw, as is so often the case, from United most likely to become an opener and the skipper through ball forced the first moment of the drama in Manchester. Patrick Dorgu collected the passport and broke into the penalty area before getting involved with Andoni Gorosabel, but after a short Var check, a spot kick was not over.
The sleepy start of United offered visitors an urgently needed encouragement and Jauregizar used it fully explained shortly after half an hour. The midfielder used a faulty pass from Harry Maguire and bent an exquisite effort into the upper corner of 25 meters to offer the basket side of a glimmer of hope.
However, comeback dreams were almost deleted before the break when Alejandro Garnacho raced on the goal. The 20-year-old, who lasted defeat in Brentford in Brentford, gave a delicacy about Julen Agirrezabala, but his attempt turned painfully to the post.
Athletic made a confident start into the second period and faced almost constant pressure on the United goal. Fortunately for the hosts, Ernesto Valverdes team struggled to open many clear opportunities, although Unai Nunez spread the centimeters away from Andre Onana shortly after the hour.
It remained a feeling that United, who were still unbeaten this season in Europe this season, needed a balance to make the nerves easier and emphasize the replacement of the mount. The midfielder reminded of a 17-year-old Federico Macheda strike for the Red Devils in 2009 and effortlessly turned into the penalty area before rushing a precise place into the outermost corner. Then the locks opened.
Casemiro converted an almost free kick from Fernandes to complete the turnaround and improve the party atmosphere in Old Trafford. The Hojlund, which was aligned much, was on the act a few minutes later when he knocked home up close.
It was also only a bit worse for the abandoned athletic in the stop time, and a mistake from Agirrezabala, which made the mount with an open goal, a gift that the Englishman gratefully accepted when he shot into an empty comeback victory for the home team from 50 meters from 50 meters from 50 meters.
Take a look at the player reviews of the MAN UTD 4-1 Athletic Club.
It was a campaign of the woe, the disappointment and uncertainty for the Red Devils, but they found safe refuge in the Europa League. Their catastrophic domestic services were provided on Thursday evening, whereby their best demonstrations under Ruben Amorim were consistently saved for the continental opposition.
United ensured that they did not have to deliver a dazzling exhibition in Old Trafford to achieve their exploits in the first leg, an attitude that obviously shaped them on the basis of their flap display in the first half. In the last third and nervous defensive, it was a performance that was more appropriate for her Premier League campaign.
Even in the first 25 minutes of the second half, things were not Roy, but another chaotic finish in Old Trafford ensured that United reached the final stylish. Four quick -fire gates had the home with joy – even if the end of the goal line flattered to the hosts – and provided the supporters for another unforgettable evening in the Europa League.
Amorim resisted the temptation to make changes in the half -time interval after a disappointing performance of his players, but he could not wait any longer. Mount, Amad Diallo and Luke Shaw were all introduced and the improvement of United was immediately.
The mount gave a sublime gate to spark the turn and to affect a team that had previously not inspired a new life. The midfielder, who was also at the goal at the weekend, produced another extraordinary finish to bring the frosting into the meantime.
Amad also had an enormous influence of the bank and its timely return from an injury will be the key to picking up the European League. One of his first actions was to burst out into the penalty area beyond a sporty defender and to quickly raise morality on the field and on the stands. The Ivori assist for Hojlund was the type of service that the striker lacked this season.
In the end it was far from United’s best display of the term, but they were simply not playable in the last 20 minutes. This displacement of the dynamics was due to Amorim, which at the perfect moment made the right substitutions.
Athletic’s order was almost impossible. They knew that they had to conjure up the most remarkable European comebacks to progress, and their non -enviable task became even more difficult due to the absence of their three leading strikers.
The star of the Euro 2024, Nico Williams and brother Inaki Williams, both lacked injuries, while the attack on midfielder Oihan Sancet was also absent with a foot credit. The trio made 58 goals and templates between them in all competitions this season, while Athletics Start in Old Trafford only produced 22 – only four of which had come in Europe.
Athletic produced an admirable attack indicator in view of their list of decisive absentee, but in the last third the polish was missing and the pace to really uncover the nerves of United. With the Williams Brothers and Sancet in the starting line -up, things could have been considerably different.
There will be no uncertainty for United when it comes to her opponents in the upcoming final. Tottenham Hotspur, who triumphed in the other semi -finals over Bodo/Glimt, is waiting for Amorim’s men in a game that has already been played three times this season. Unfortunately, they have lost all three for the Red Devils.
United’s disappointing record against Spurs extends further. You have not managed to win one of the last six duels, and Poseteclou remains unbeaten against the Red Devils. Even with Tottenham’s success story to suffocate on the largest stage – they are without cutlery in 17 years – the lilywhites cannot be underestimated.
An all-English final will be a pleasure to see itself for the neutral, but United may have preferred foreign opposition for the greatest game of her season.