After some time having passed since the game, I think what I enjoyed the most about the performance was that for large parts of the 2nd half, the game was "boring" for all the right reasons that we havent seen in a while.
EL W Europa League Semi-Final 1st Leg
Athletic Club 0:3 Manchester United
Post-match discussion
Thu, 01 May 2025
For those of you who are saying "feck the Spaniards". We don't care, because we are not Spanish, we are Basques. feck Spain and Aupa Athletic!! Jo ta ke irabazi arte!!!
A lamb roast on a Thursday, you are fancy
Indeed.... possibly it was divine intervention!
Also after the early pathetic attempts to 'play out', we suddenly found some common sense (or 'divine intervention') and adjusted to the realities.
Never really in much trouble after that; when the second goal went in and their CB walked, the crowd was subdued, and after the third, you could almost hear a pin drop... except for those excitable United fans
Everyone of our players had good games, a special shout out for Casemiro, Bruno and Maguire.
My wife tells me I was still smiling in my sleep last night
It was a great night wasn’t it?! I really wasn’t expecting much and would have been happy with a draw. To play like that and in that environment was really impressive. But for the crossbar it could have been four at half time!
Hope you’re still smiling today - we have to enjoy the good days
I don't see the need for any animosity, you guys make the best lingere in my opinion.
The rules suck and a penalty should be sufficient punishment in that situation but yeah, that is the law I’m afraid. No idea why Sociedad feel aggrieved either considering there’s was a last man foul. Lyon’s red was very harsh but other than that the refs have been decent in this competition so far.
We'll have to agree to disagree. It's not like it was the same individual. Still mugs I say - very classless
Yup, definitely can't call it disgraceful to not observe a minute's silence to someone who headed a religion responsible for supporting the fascists who attempted to erase your whole culture by murdering, torturing and exiling the people of your homeland.. Didn't say a peep about it either, like all his predecessors. It was way more disgraceful that he didn't admit wrongdoing on behalf of the church.
None of them apologised. They all accepted the benefits of the history of the church and it's accumulated wealth. Silence is loud sometimes.
The church did a lot of damage in some countries, on both a structural and personal level. In my opinion it's a insult to the victims to not acknowledge that.
It would be fancy but I reckon he's talking about kebabs here
Feel like the only mugs here are the ones commenting on this without any kind of basic knowledge of the Spanish civil war.
And you're entitled to your feeling - doesn't make it valid
And that sentiment also applies to your feeling
Agreed
Mazraoui hit the bar.
Casemiro also hit the post and their keeper made at least a couple very good saves towards the end. The idea that we didn’t try for a fourth isn’t based in reality
It seems were destined to win this one. We've been blessed by red cards against our opponents.
We have to be real, Bilbao were much better before that penalty/red card incident. I'll take it as before the game I was praying for a draw.
Hopefully this gives us something to push up to in the second leg and in the final.
It all indicates it will be against Spurs, as bad as they've been they'll have the same pressure as us to win to get to the Champions League next season. Plus they've beaten us in all 3 matches we've played against them this season. So it's not going to be easy.
We have to be real, Bilbao were much better before that penalty/red card incident. I'll take it as before the game I was praying for a draw.
Hopefully this gives us something to push up to in the second leg and in the final.
It all indicates it will be against Spurs, as bad as they've been they'll have the same pressure as us to win to get to the Champions League next season. Plus they've beaten us in all 3 matches we've played against them this season. So it's not going to be easy.
They weren't MUCH better, they were a bit better for about 20 minutes, but most of the problems we had were self inflicted. We were 1 nil up before the pen and their player made the foul for it because he thought if he didn't it would have been 2 nil. We also had a goal disallowed for a tight offside before any of that. Bilbao weren't hard done by.
They were, but we were winning 1-0 and built momentum don’t forget, and also the pen happened because a great ball was put in and Hojlund might well have been about to have a tap in.
Let’s not put ourselves down, you’re right Bilbao had lots of momentum at the start, but then we scored and it swung to us, we did that, we deserve credit for that.
Edit: yeah what @MF1138 just said.
Enjoyed watching Bilbao get a well deserved hammering. The back line and midfield played like thugs and all the fouls eventually caught up with them. And the fans bringing red cards to wave shows how classless they really are.
Credit to the good guys for standing up to them and then dismantling them.
Credit to the good guys for standing up to them and then dismantling them.
May 1, don't you know. Public holiday.
They would be thinking the same before the game when you consider Rangers and Roma got players sent off against them in the first ten minutes of previous games.
Pretty sure the red cards were just there from the start of the game so they could create a nice mosaic in the stands. Then later, some fans used them to express their disappointment on the red card decision.
But only our God is the true God
Correct. There were also fans holding white cards for the mosaic but the TV didn't show them - they probably weren't waving those later!
If the Basques are so anti Catholic establishment, why is their stadium named after a Catholic saint?
They aren't anti Catholic, there was a big rift between the clergy there and the Vatican during Franco's time and the relationship was never fully repaired. It's complicated.
They’ve beaten us 3 times this season, it’s going to be a very, very tricky one.
Why’ve you put mate in inverted commas?
Not when you look at it in terms of rest/training. 2 extra days is a serious amount of time to recover.
The best way I can sum up my feelings after this game is ilike this
We have:
a) 90 minutes at home to Bilbao leading 3-0 from the away.-game
b) a final against Spurs or Bodø Glimt to qualify for C.L next season....
It's a hell of a lot easier way than City, Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea and Villa have to qualify
We have:
a) 90 minutes at home to Bilbao leading 3-0 from the away.-game
b) a final against Spurs or Bodø Glimt to qualify for C.L next season....
It's a hell of a lot easier way than City, Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea and Villa have to qualify
Just taking the mickey out of Ange
Got a bit lucky in this one.
Could've been 2-0 down before we scored.
Dodgy pen, Hojlund fell far too easily, soft pen, soft red card, ref on our side for once.
Should've added a 4th & 5th in second half to really kill it off but failed.
I'll take the 3-0 away win though.
Trouble is we've seen these same players lose 3-0 at OT more than once this season including Spurs who also knocked us out of LC (with half their first team missing), basically, we ain't got a hope if we play Spurs again.
Could've been 2-0 down before we scored.
Dodgy pen, Hojlund fell far too easily, soft pen, soft red card, ref on our side for once.
Should've added a 4th & 5th in second half to really kill it off but failed.
I'll take the 3-0 away win though.
Trouble is we've seen these same players lose 3-0 at OT more than once this season including Spurs who also knocked us out of LC (with half their first team missing), basically, we ain't got a hope if we play Spurs again.
It sounds cliche, but it's so important that we have players like Casemiro for very occasions like this.
Yeah they seem to have our number, yeah their tactics and players seem suited to play us, but an occasion like a European final, nerves can kick in for players inexperienced in such games and most of previous form goes out the window.
Usually they say every reaction has an opposite. Considering all the moaning and complaints after we lose meaningless premier league matches I’d expect those same people to be over the moon with a very good win and performance against a very strong Spanish team in the SF of a major European tournament that offers a way to the CL.
Let’s not delude ourselves, La Liga sides usually do beat the equivalent ranked English team. Yet we’ve beaten a team ranked 4th in La Liga who also have one of the best defence.
Let’s not delude ourselves, La Liga sides usually do beat the equivalent ranked English team. Yet we’ve beaten a team ranked 4th in La Liga who also have one of the best defence.
It's written in the stars we will win this tournament after our comeback vs Lyon.
With Amad, De Ligt, Shaw, Mainoo back and Casemeiro, Bruno, Garnacho, Ugarte, Maguire are in top form we will beat Spurs.
With Amad, De Ligt, Shaw, Mainoo back and Casemeiro, Bruno, Garnacho, Ugarte, Maguire are in top form we will beat Spurs.
Really hope so. My only concern with Amad is match fitness. But if he’s playing anywhere near as good as he was before then he transforms our team adds so much pace, creativity, goal threat and energy to that right side.
Bilbao are a good side and we were playing them away, this kind of early rally is to be expected.
They’re going to create some good chances at home v more or less anyone.
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 241 ratings.
Score Predictions
35,67,53
- Man Utd win
- Athletic Club win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 28% Athletic Club 1:1 Man Utd
- 15% Athletic Club 2:0 Man Utd
- 14% Athletic Club 1:2 Man Utd
- 11% Athletic Club 2:1 Man Utd
- 7% Athletic Club 3:0 Man Utd
- 6% Athletic Club 3:1 Man Utd
- 4% Athletic Club 0:2 Man Utd
- 4% Athletic Club 2:2 Man Utd
- 4% Athletic Club 1:0 Man Utd
- 2% Athletic Club 0:0 Man Utd
- 2% Athletic Club 1:3 Man Utd
- 2% Athletic Club 0:1 Man Utd
- 1% Athletic Club 5:1 Man Utd
- 1% Athletic Club 0:3 Man Utd
- 1% Athletic Club 2:3 Man Utd
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Luke Shaw
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replaced by Matthijs de Ligt
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replaced by Amad Diallo
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-
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replaced by Mason Mount
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replaced by Kobbie Mainoo
