Manchester United beats Athletic Bilbao to get close to the Europa League final
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes (twice) score the goals of the match at the San Mamés Stadium
Summary
Having performed poorly in the English Championship, Manchester United were a machine in the Europa League semi-finals. They beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at the San Mamés Stadium and secured a spot in the final of the competition, which will be played at the same venue as this Thursday’s match. A well-called red card upset the balance of the match, and the English side took the lead in the first half. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes (twice) scored.
Next Thursday, also at 4pm (Brasília time), the teams will meet again at Old Trafford. United will advance to the final even if they lose by up to two goals. A victory for Athletic Bilbao with a three-goal difference will take the match to extra time.
The 90 minutes
The game wasn’t at Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams, but United had a perfect first half. They struggled a lot at the start against the home side, but after the opening of the scoring, with Casemiro, it was all joy. Athletic Bilbao’s Vivian was sent off for a penalty committed in a play in which he didn’t even try to touch the ball. From then on, the game became easy, and Bruno Fernandes not only converted the penalty, but also scored a great goal at the end of the half.
In the second half, Manchester managed their advantage well with absolute control, but did not stop trying to increase it with seven shots, four on target. Athletic Bilbao, on the other hand, were unable to recover from the setback and did not even pose any threat to the opposing goal.
Brazilian decisive once again
Casemiro stood out again in the Europa League. If in the quarterfinals he played very well, winning a penalty and providing two assists in the historic 4-4 victory over Lyon, this Thursday he opened the way with a beautiful header. In addition, he was very important in the fight.
