Manchester United made a giant jump to the Europa League final with an astonishing 3-0 victory on Athletic Bilbao.
A trip to San Mames, which will host the final in three weeks, was to serve as a most difficult test of United in a European campaign which served as a tonic in the worst League season in club history.
But, after having survived an early attack on the hosts, fourth in Laliga, United has improbably took the lead through the head near Casemiro.
He quickly turned into a disastrous evening for B more, which dropped 2-0 behind after Bruno Fernandes converted from the penory after Dani Vivian saw the red for a foul on Rasmus Hojlund.
Fernandes did it 3-0 just before half-time Having been intelligently played by Manuel Ugarte, and United succeeded in the game extremely well thereafter, with the men of Ruben Amorim not to find a fourth who would have almost certainly killed equality.
Athletic bilbao against Manchester United
United seemed to have amazed San Mames in silence when Alejandro Garnacho crossed the goal and showed a large composure to find the lower corner to the left, to be refused by the out-of-game flag, which was raised correctly.
Bilbao replied very well, Alex Berenguer drawing a strong backup from Andre Onana before Inaki Williams wasted a golden chance, heading for the superb left cross of Berenguer.
The hosts would have taken the lead in the HID Victor Lindelof had not produced an excellent block to keep an effort to bendernguer which was intended at the lower corner to the left at the end of an exceptional movement of the hosts.
Bilbao’s inability to take advantage of their domination was punished in an improbable way on the half-hour brand.
After Bilbao failed to erase a free kick, Harry Maguire collected possession On the right and intelligently worked towards the signature and produced an excellent cross on which Ugarte was heading towards Casemiro to put United in front of the range at close range.
Their advance was doubled seven minutes later when Dani Vivian dropped Rasmus Hojlund while he was trying to climb at the end of a lower right cross.
After a long Var check, the referee Espen Eskas pointed out to the place, with Dani Vivian then showed a right red card and Fernandes coldly caressing in the lower right corner to give Bilbao a mountain to climb.
Patrick Dorgu was refused to the post close to Julen Actingaabala, but United’s advance has become more emphatic when Ugarte slipped Fernandes with the goal with an intelligent film, the portguese is not mistaken by giving the Amorim side the complete control of equality.
He then shaken the crossbar while Bilbao lost all composure, and Casemiro was also unhappy to hit the post in the second half after a corner after being refused by Actingupererebala, who also thwarted Garnacho and Fernandes to at least give the Basque a tiny glimmer of hope while heading for the leg back to the old traffic next week.
