Manchester United vs Athletic Club: Preview and Prediction

Manchester United will aim to secure a spot in the UEFA Europa League final when they welcome Athletic Club to Old Trafford on Thursday.

Only two more matches remain before we learn our finalists for the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League. Manchester United vs Athletic Club will be one of the two semi-finals, with the teams locking horns in the second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Manchester United qualified for the UEFA Europa League semi-final by the skin of their teeth after clinching a narrow victory over Lyon in the quarter-final. Real Sociedad fell prey to the Red Devils in the round of 16, while the English giants are the only unbeaten team in the tournament. However, the Premier League has only brought despair for Ruben Amorim’s men, who suffered a 4-3 defeat to Brentford this past weekend.

On the other hand, Athletic Club might start focusing solely on La Liga after the defeat in the first leg. The Basque giants are fourth in the league standings, with sixth-placed Real Betis only four points behind with four games left in the 2024/25 campaign. So, while Los Leoes will likely end a memorable UEFA Europa League campaign this week, they will have bowed out with their heads held high.

The first leg ended in a straightforward 3-0 win for Manchester United, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a match-winning brace. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Manchester United

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Bruno Garnacho; Hojlund

Athletic Club

Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Agirrezabala; De Marcos, Paredes, Yeray Álvarez, Berchiche; Ruiz De Galarreta, Jaureguizar; Djalo, Berenguer, \oGomez; Sannadi

Key Stats

• In the five previous matches between Manchester United and Athletic Club, there have been 22 goals (4.4 per game), with the Red Devils scouring scoring 12 and conceding 10. All five of those matches have seen at least three goals scored.eanwhile, In all major European competitions, only one side has ever won the first leg of a two-legged knockout tie away from home by 3+ goals and failed to progress, with Maccabi Tel Aviv doing so against Olympiasos in the 2023-24 UEFA Conference League last 16 (4-1 away win, 6-1 home defeat after extra-time).”
• Athletic Club have lost seven of their nine previous away games against English sides in all European competitions (W1 D1), although their most recent was a 3-2 win over Manchester United in March 2012 in the UEFA Europa League.
• Manchester United have lost only one of their last 30 home games in the UEFA Europa League (W23 D6), a 0-1 group stage defeat to Real Sociedad in September 2022. They must lose by at least three goals in order to not progress from this tie – the Red Devils have never in their history lost a home game in any European competition by a margin of 3+ goals.
• Manchester United have scored 31 goals in this season’s UEFA Europa League – more than any other side. Only in 2002/03 (32) and 2020/21 (34) did they score more in a single campaign in major European competition.
• Athletic Club have forced more shot-ending high turnovers than any other side in the UEFA Europa League this season (26), while Manchester United rank second for this (23).

Player to Watch

Bruno Fernandes

While Alex Berenguer, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alejandro Garnacho were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as our Player to Watch for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg between Manchester United and Athletic Club at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese international has led by example and scored a match-winning brace as the Red Devils eased to a 3-0 win over Athletic Club in the second leg. So, with Manchester United looking to put the tie to bed, Fernandes will be Amorim’s go-to man to finish Athletic Club’s European hopes ad.

Prediction

Manchester United 2-1 Athletic Club

Manchester United will likely breathe easy after cruising to a 3-0 win over Athletic Club last week. That would have given the Red Devils a safety net should they underperform int he second leg. That might happen as Ruben Amorim starts planning for UEFA Europa League final.

For Athletic Club, the absence of the Williams brothers is a devastating blow considering the pair’s influence in the final third. However, the Basque outfit will not go down without a fight, and they will take Manchester United close. But that might not be enough, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Ruben Amorim and his charges.