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Key events
Athletic’s star man Nico Williams had been an injury doubt, but he came on as a sub during his team’s 1-0 La Liga win over Las Palmas last Wednesday, and is back in the starting XI tonight. As for the rest of the team, it’s the return of the Las Palmas nine, with the only other player stepping up being goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Unai Simón drops to the bench, while Oihan Sancet misses out altogether.
Manchester United make two changes to their starting XI after the 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Sunday. Victor Lindelöf and Manuel Ugarte take the places of Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo, who both drop to the bench.
The teams
United in Bilbao ✊
Let’s give it all we’ve got ⚔️🔥#MUFC || #UEL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 1, 2025
Preamble
These two grand old clubs have very different records in Europe. Manchester United have won six trophies on the continent; Athletic Club of Bilbao are still searching for their first. And yet on the head-to-head, things are much more of a piece. The clubs have met competitively only twice before: in the 1956-57 European Cup quarter-finals, when United overturned a 5-3 first-leg defeat with a 3-0 win at Maine Road, Dennis Viollet, Tommy Taylor and Johnny Berry with the goals under the floodlights that necessitated their playing across the city; and in the 2011-12 Europa League round of 16, Athletic winning home and away to chalk up a 5-3 aggregate victory, Fernando Llorente one of the scorers doing the damage at Old Trafford.
Let’s tot it up, then. One tie apiece. Three Athletic wins to one for United. Ten Athletic goals to nine by United. Could it be much closer? Not really, no. And another goalfest could well be on the cards, because Athletic have won six our of six at Estadio de San Mamés during their run to this Europa League semi-final, scoring 14 times along the way, while United’s carry-on in the previous round against Lyon told you all you need to know about them. This could be great fun, then. Kick-off is at 9pm Basque Country time, 8pm BST. It’s on!
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