United Beyond Manchester

A nervous 70 minutes for Manchester United turned to pure joy, as the Reds reached the Europa League Final with four late second-half goals to seal the tie against Athletic Bilbao.

Match Flow

The first 30 minutes of the match were quiet, as neither side threatened the opposition’s goalkeeper. However, that all changed for the final quarter hour.

A glimpse of hope came for Bilbao through Mikel Jauregizar. The 21-year-old midfielder picked up the ball after Alvaro Djalo’s initial shot was blocked and scored an absolute stunner with a curled shot into the top corner from distance.

Alejandro Garnacho had an opportunity to put the tie away just before halftime but made a mess of it. Patrick Dorgu found Garnacho making a run through the middle with a perfectly weighted pass, but the Argentine forward’s clipped effort dropped wide.

Manchester United finished the half with more possession and a far higher expected goals (xG), but trailed 1-0, giving the away side hope of a comeback.

Fresh off scoring against Brentford at the weekend, Mason Mount made it two goals in two matches. Leny Yoro stepped forward, providing Mount with the ball inside the box, and the oft-injured midfielder took a beautiful touch before curling a finish past Julen Agirrezabala to seal the tie.

Casemiro added a second for the Reds in the 80th minute. A cross from a free kick by Bruno Fernandes set the Brazilian up, and the experienced midfielder’s deft header gave United a 2-1 lead in the game and a 5-1 lead on aggregate.

The Reds added a third five minutes later. Amad Diallo, who had been threatening since coming on, found enough space to cut the ball back from the line and provided Rasmus Hojlund with a tap-in. It was the Dane’s sixth in the competition, and a potential confidence-booster ahead of the Final.

A second goal in as many games was not enough for Mason Mount, and he scored again in stoppage time. A botched clearance from the visiting goalkeeper presented Mount with the ball near midfield, and United’s number seven struck the ball with his weak foot over the head of the Bilbao defense and into the back of the net.

From 1-0 down to 4-1 up in 20 minutes, Manchester United emphatically finished off their Spanish competition to secure an appearance in the Final.

Next Match

Ruben Amorim’s side hosts West Ham at Old Trafford on Sunday before traveling to Stamford Bridge on Friday to face Chelsea.