United Beyond Manchester

A goal from Casemiro, two goals from Bruno Fernandes, and two assists from Manuel Ugarte have put Manchester United on the brink of a European Cup Final. Read below to see how the match unfolded.

Match Flow

Alejandro Garnacho thought he had given Manchester United a lead inside the first five minutes with a neat finish, but the flag went up and offside was confirmed by VAR.

Athletic Bilbao should have taken the lead in the 10th minute. A perfect cross from Alex Berenguer found Inaki Williams, but the winger made a mess of the header, sending the ball over the crossbar.

In-form Casemiro provided the traveling fans with a moment to celebrate in the 30th minute. Center back-turned-winger Harry Maguire produced some magic with some quick feet on the right side before playing a driven ball into the box. Manuel Ugarte latched onto Maguire’s ball, heading across to Casemiro, who found the back of the home side’s net to make it 1-0 United.

Just two minutes after conceding, things began to unravel for Athletic Bilbao. A pull-back on Rasmus Hojlund in the box was initially ignored, but a lengthy VAR review not only earned United a penalty but also reduced Bilbao to 10 men. After Daniel Vivian was sent off, Bruno Fernandes coolly scored the spot kick, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.

Just before the break, Fernandes scored another. A quick flick from Manuel Ugarte put the club captain in behind, and he made no mistake with the finish.

Manchester United ended the half with a three-goal advantage, scoring all three of their “big chances” and netting on three of the team’s five shots.

Ruben Amorim’s side controlled the second half, conceding very little to the hosts in attack. United did have a couple of opportunities, but ultimately the most exciting part of the second half was the return of Amad. The Reds attacked ruthlessly in the first half and will take a 3-0 lead into the second leg at Old Trafford.

Talking Point

Unlike against Lyon, Manchester United used the man advantage as an advantage. Bruno Fernandes scored twice, once from the spot, after Vivian was sent off, ensuring that a commanding lead would be taken into the second leg.

While the slow, relaxed nature of the second half meant that United created little, it also meant that Bilbao was never able to get a grip on the match. The hosts were pinned back as Amorim’s men passed the ball around for much of the half, as the visitors remained secure in the lead.

Next Match

Manchester United will travel to Brentford on Sunday ahead of the return fixture against Athletic Bilbao next Thursday.