Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao prediction, expected line-ups, how to watch and stats
Man United will be looking to finish the job and book their spot in the Europa League final when they welcome Athletic Bilbao to Old Trafford for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final.
Despite making a complete mess of their domestic campaign, Ruben Amorim and his men could yet end the season with a trophy and Champions League qualification.
That would be a spectacular achievement for a side that wasted most of the Premier League season sitting in the bottom half of the table.
For all their domestic worries, the Red Devils have actually been quite good in Europe. United are unbeaten in 13 Europa League games and could become just the seventh side in the history of the competition to reach the final without suffering a single defeat.
Amorim’s men will certainly fancy their chances on Thursday as they take a 3-0 lead into the second leg at Old Trafford.
United saved their best performance of the season for their most important match of the campaign so far, leaving them in pole position to seal the deal and secure their spot in a European final.
Bilbao need at least three goals to keep the tie alive, and while that sounds like a lot, it is very much doable.
In the last few weeks alone, United have conceded four goals in three of their last six matches. Newcastle, Lyon and, most recently, Brentford all ripped United’s defence to shreds.
In fact, the Red Devils have only kept one clean sheet at Old Trafford in their last 15 matches at home.
When you couple United’s leaky defence with Bilbao’s desperation to get themselves back into this contest, we may just have the right ingredients for a tasty Thursday night encounter.
Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao prediction
Man United are just two matches away from saving their season, winning a trophy and securing top-flight European football for next season.
Getting past Bilbao is the first job, but considering they already boast a three-goal advantage, progression shouldn’t be anything more than a formality.
Despite this, we expect the visitors to give this a good go. Both teams to score has landed in 10 of United’s 13 Europa League games this season and we expect that trend to continue on Thursday.
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While United’s defence has been as leaky as a busted pipe, we can’t forget that the Red Devils have also scored 12 goals themselves in the last five outings.
Captain Bruno Fernandes has played a big role in that run of goals – especially in Europa League games.
The Portuguese star scored twice against Bilbao in the first leg and also boasts two goal contributions from the quarter-final tie against Lyon. With that in mind, keep your eye on Fernandes this Thursday night.
You can back any of these tips, check the live odds and grab some offers with Betway
Man Utd team news
United’s big injury issue concerns Matthijs de Ligt who was taken off with a muscle problem during the 4-3 defeat at Brentford.
De Ligt will join Toby Collyer for a late fitness test, though the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee, Diogo Dalot and Ayden Heaven will all remain on the sidelines.
Rasmus Hojlund is expected to start up front, with Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho set to provide support.
Chido Obi-Martin made his Premier League debut for United last weekend, but the 17-year-old is ineligible to play in the Europa League and will miss out on Thursday’s second leg.
Man Utd expected line-up
Athletic Bilbao team news
Dani Vivian will be absent for this all-important second leg through suspension. The defender was sent off during the 3-0 defeat in Bilbao and is expected to be replaced by Aitor Paredes.
Valverde will also be without Inaki Williams, his brother Nico Williams and top scorer Oihan Sancet. In better news, defender Oscar de Marcos is available and should start.
Maroan Sannadi is expected to lead the line in absence of Sancet, while Alvaro Djalo and Unai Gomez should replace the Williams brothers.
Athletic Bilbao expected line-up
Agirrezabala – De Marcos, Paredes, Alvarez, Berchiche – De Galarreta, Jauregizar – Djalo, Berenguer, Gomez- Sannadi
Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao how to watch and listen
Man Utd v Athletic Bilbao will be shown live on TNT Sports at 20:00 on Thursday, May 8. There will be live match updates on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT.
Man Utd vs Athletic Bilbao stats
– In all major European competitions, only one team has ever won the first leg away from home by 3+ goals and failed to progress (that being Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2023/24 Conference League last-16 stage)
– In five previous meetings between Man United and Athletic Bilbao there has been 22 goals, making it 4.4 per game on average
– All five previous meetings have seen at least three goals scored
– Athletic Bilbao have lost seven of their last nine away games against English clubs
– Man United are unbeaten in 13 Europea League games this season
– Man United are looking to become the seventh side in Europea League history to reach the final without losing a single game
– Athletic Bilbao are looking to avoid losing both home and away legs of a major European knockout tie for just the third time in their history
