Athletic Club 0 – 3 Manchester United
Manchester United took a giant step towards the Europa League final with a dominant 3-0 victory over Athletic Club in Thursday’s semifinal first leg.
In front of a passionate San Memes crowd, eager for their first-ever European trophy, it was Casemiro who gave United the lead in the 30th minute, arriving at the back post to score. Just five minutes later, Athletic’s Dani Vivian was sent off for a foul on Rasmus Højlund inside the penalty area. Bruno Fernandes confidently converted the penalty, doubling the visitors’ lead.
With United fans in full voice in the top tier, Fernandes capped off a perfect first half, racing through to score a third goal, putting the game—and possibly the tie—out of Athletic’s reach before the break.
Despite the added motivation of playing the final in their own stadium on May 21, Athletic couldn’t mount a comeback in the second half with a man down. United comfortably saw out the match, securing a commanding first-leg victory.
“It’s a great start to get a victory here, score three goals, and keep a clean sheet,” United defender Harry Maguire said after the game. “All the pressure will be on us now, and everyone will expect us to go through. We need to prepare properly, and if we do, we’ll give ourselves a great chance. One foot in the final, but it’s not done yet.”
For Manchester United, the Europa League has been a welcome escape from their struggles in the Premier League, where they are on course for their worst-ever points tally.
United arrived in Bilbao as the only unbeaten team left in European competition, but they were up against a tough challenge in Athletic, sitting fourth in La Liga with the league’s best defense.
The home crowd spurred Athletic on early, and they created the better chances early on. Iñaki Williams had a great opportunity with a close-range header, but Victor Lindelöf made a crucial clearance off the line.
Casemiro swung the momentum in United’s favor when he scored the opening goal. After reviewing a foul by Vivian on Højlund, referee Espen Eskas showed the Athletic defender a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, and awarded a penalty.
Fernandes remained calm under intense pressure from the home crowd and calmly converted the penalty. Moments later, he raced onto a flick from Manuel Ugarte and scored a third, sealing the win.
To highlight the contrast between United’s domestic and continental campaigns, they have now scored more goals in just seven Europa League games this season than in their 15 Premier League matches in 2025.
Under coach Ruben Amorim, United has enjoyed more success in the Europa League than in the Premier League this season.
Casemiro had the chance to add a fourth but saw his second-half header hit the post.
Nevertheless, with a 3-0 win, United joined the 133 teams that have won the first leg of a UEFA Cup or Europa League knockout tie by three or more goals away from home—an achievement that has seen all 133 teams go on to win the tie.
