VE Day meant just that for Manchester United. They will play in the Europa League final at the Estadio San Mames in two weeks’ time after depriving Athletic Bilbao of an invitation to their own party.
United didn’t make it easy for themselves before securing a passage to the north coast of Spain where they will meet Tottenham in an all-Premier League affair in Bilbao on May 21. Of course they didn’t.
But at least there was none of the lunacy of their quarter-final win over Lyon last month as they came from behind to flatter themselves with a 4-1 win on the night and stay unbeaten in Europe this season after 12 games.
Ruben Amorim had raised concerns that his players would ‘lose our minds’ again but they didn’t lose anything last night. Not the game, not the tie and not the opportunity to win a trophy that would guarantee automatic qualification to next season’s Champions League, whatever Arsene Wenger might think about it.
No, United still have something to gain from this most peculiar of seasons. Domestically, it might be a write-off but victory in Europe is not to be sniffed at.
Holding a commanding 3-0 lead for the first leg in Spain last week, they went behind to an excellent strike by Mikel Jaureguizar in the first half but turned the game around with late goals from Mason Mount, who scored twice, Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund.
Casemiro put Manchester United in front with his shoulder after meeting Bruno Fernandes’ cross
Mason Mount got the home side back on level terms with a superb turn and finish into the corner of the net
Mikel Jauregizar scored a stunning goal from range to give the visitors hope of mounting an unlikely comeback
United will have to play a lot better against Spurs than this though. They were nervous and disjointed in the face of a determined Bilbao team.
Amorim’s side never looked like suffering the kind of collapse he feared after letting in four goals against Lyon. But it’s a measure of how much drama United have put their head coach and fans through, that it still felt as though Bilbao scoring first might alter the complexion of this tie significantly and that almost proved to be the case.
However, United held out to deny Athletic an appearance at the San Mames in front of their own supporters, nearly 4,000 of whom came to Old Trafford dreaming of a miracle comeback.
United had to soak up more pressure at the start of the second half and Amorim made a triple substitution just after the hour, sending on Mount, Amad Diallo and Luke Shaw.
All three had a hand in the equaliser in the 72nd minute. Diallo ran down the right and crossed to Mount who couldn’t quite get a good enough connection with his head. Shaw played the ball back to Yoro and he fed Mount who span superbly before curling a shot into the bottom corner.
The game was up for Bilbao and United for a winner in the 79th minute. Fernandes was fouled by Unai Nunez on the right and picked himself up to curl a free kick to the near post. Casemiro had peeled away from his marked and stooped to send a header looping over Agirrezabala.
Hojlund got a third in the 85th minute, tapping home from close range after Dorgu had fed Diallo on the overlap, before Mount took advantage of Agirrezabala’s poor clearance to audaciously fire into an empty net from 50 yards.
It was Mount’s third goal in five days after 400 without one, but left a scoreline that was exceptionally harsh on Bilbao.
