Manchester United find themselves on the brink of a UEFA Europa League final after a commanding three-goal victory at San Mamés in the opening leg.
In the first leg, Ruben Amorim’s men turned in a brilliant three-nil performance over Athletic Club at San Mamés. That very stadium will also host the final later this month. By dominating possession and cutting through Athletic’s defence with precision passing, they built a vital cushion. It could prove decisive in the return fixture.
However, United enter this match with an unbeaten European record this season, having recorded eight victories alongside five draws. They have often done things the hard way but still emerged unmarked on their continental journey. Even so, complacency carries risk, especially against an opponent desperate for a memorable fightback.
Meanwhile, recent domestic form offers no guarantee of a smooth ride. They shipped four goals in a thrilling 4-3 reversal to Brentford at the weekend. Additionally, all five previous clashes with Athletic Club saw at least three goals, suggesting an early breakthrough could spark excitement.
Moreover, United hold a flawless record when winning the opening leg away in a UEFA knockout tie. They have progressed on all twenty previous occasions, offering a solid safety net heading into this return match.
On the other hand, Athletic Club face an uphill task after falling short in front of their passionate home crowd last Thursday. Moreover, they settled for a goalless draw with Real Sociedad over the weekend, denting morale. Without Nico and Iñaki Williams, as well as top scorer Oihan Sancet sidelined by injury, their attacking resources appear stretched.
Furthermore, Athletic have gone three matches in this competition without a win on the road, drawing once and losing twice. They have also suffered seven defeats in nine previous visits to England, managing just one victory and one draw. Still, their sole success came at this very stadium during their run to the 2012 final.
Realistically, Athletic Club can aim to avoid defeat in both legs of a European knockout tie for only the third time in their history. Few sides have overturned a three-goal home defeat in the first leg of any major European competition. That slim prospect may represent their best chance of salvaging pride in Manchester.
Players to watch include United captain Bruno Fernandes. He comes back rested and brimming with energy after contributing six goals and one assist in five knockout matches. Meanwhile, Gorka Guruzeta leads Athletic’s scoring charts with seven goals but has blanked in each of his last thirteen appearances. Managers on both sides will trust these key men to influence the tie.
Notably, both teams found the net in eight of United’s last nine European home matches, including all four meetings with Spanish opponents in that period. Such trends suggest that goals could flow in both halves on Thursday evening, promising excitement for all in attendance. Football fans should prepare for an engaging spectacle.
World Time Zones
| Europe | GMT |
 London | 20:00 |
| Edinburgh | 20:00 |
 Madrid | 21:00 |
 Lisbon | 20:00 |
 Berlin | 21:00 |
 Paris | 21:00 |
 Amsterdam | 21:00 |
 Rome | 21:00 |
 Belgrade | 21:00 |
 Sofia | 22:00 |
 Warshaw | 21:00 |
 Tirana | 21:00 |
 Istanbul | 22:00 |
 Kyiv | 22:00 |
 Moscow | 22:00 |
| North America | GMT |
 New York, New York City | 15:00 |
| Texas, Dallas | 14:00 |
| Utah, Salt Lake City | 13:00 |
| California, Santa Clara | 12:00 |
| Alaska, Anchorage | 11:00 |
 St. John’s | 17:00 |
| Halifax | 16:00 |
| Toronto | 15:00 |
| Winnipeg | 14:00 |
| Edmonton | 13:00 |
| Vancouver | 12:00 |
 Mexico City | 13:00 |
| South America | GMT |
 Sao Paulo | 16:00 |
 La Paz | 15:00 |
 Lima | 14:00 |
| Australia | GMT |
 Perth | 03:00 |
| Eucla | 03:45 |
| Darwin | 04:30 |
| Adelaide | 04:30 |
| Brisbane | 05:00 |
| Sydney | 05:00 |
| Asia | GMT |
 Mecca | 22:00 |
 Kabul | 23:30 |
 Karachi | 00:00 |
 New Dehli | 00:30 |
 Dhaka | 01:00 |
 Jakarta | 02:00 |
 Singapore | 03:00 |
 Kuala Lumpur | 03:00 |
| Africa | GMT |
 Accra | 19:00 |
 Porto Novo | 20:00 |
 Casablanca | 20:00 |
 Johannesburg | 21:00 |
 Cairo | 22:00 |
 Nairobi | 22:00 |
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Interesting perspective. It really made me think differently.