- Manchester United defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the second leg, advancing to the Europa League final with a 7-1 aggregate score
- Athletic Bilbao dominated for the first hour, but United’s four goals in the final 30 minutes sealed the win
- Mason Mount scored his first goal at Old Trafford since joining from Chelsea, and later added a second
Key Takeaways:
Manchester United secured a 4-1 victory in their second match against Athletic Bilbao, advancing to the Europa League final with a 7-1 aggregate score. However, the match was far from as comfortable for the hosts as the final score might suggest. The Red Devils faced significant pressure for the first hour of the game, only turning things around with a stunning four-goal display in the final 30 minutes.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 🫡 pic.twitter.com/HhTMHCrkV5
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 8, 2025
The match began as expected, with Athletic Bilbao attempting to control possession and press their opponents, while the “Red Devils” tried to maintain ball control and slow the pace. In the 22nd minute, Patrick Dorgu broke into the penalty area but went down after contact with a defender, prompting calls for a penalty from the hosts. The referee immediately waved away the appeals. Half an hour in, Dorgu was released down the left again, but his cross was intercepted. Moments later, Harry Maguire made a serious error when clearing the ball, which fell to an Athletic player. After a blocked shot, Mikel Jaureguizar found the net with a strike from the edge of the box to make it 0-1.
In the following minutes, the Red Devils managed to retain possession and push forward. In the 43rd minute, Alejandro Garnacho broke through behind the defence and found himself one-on-one with Aguirrezabala, but his shot missed the target.
The second half began similarly, with Athletic Bilbao applying heavy pressure against a rather passive United side. In the 65th minute, a seemingly harmless header from Unai Nunez went just inches wide of the right post of United’s goal.
Gradually, Ruben Amorim’s players raised the tempo and pushed the game further forward. This led to the 70th minute, when Leny Yoro made another great run and set up Mason Mount in the box, who finished with a shot into the far corner for 1-1. Notably, this was Mount’s first goal at Old Trafford since joining the team from Chelsea.
Immediately after the equaliser, the Basque side tried to respond, but Gorka Guruzeta’s shot from the right missed the target. In the 79th minute, Manchester United won a free kick from the right. Bruno Fernandes delivered an excellent cross, which was met by Casemiro, who completed the comeback for the “Red Devils,” making it 2-1.
That goal seemed to break the spirits of Athletic Bilbao’s players while lifting the hosts’ morale. United attacked with more confidence, and in the 85th minute, a superb combination between Leny Yoro and Amad Diallo led to a low cross, leaving Rasmus Hojlund with a simple tap-in from close range for 3-1. The final touch came in stoppage time when Athletic Bilbao’s goalkeeper Aguirrezabala made a poor clearance far from his goal, sending the ball straight to Mason Mount. The midfielder took advantage, shooting from around 30 metres with his left foot into the empty net, sealing a 4-1 victory.