Athletic Bilbao take on the visitors Manchester United in the first leg of UEFA Europa League semifinals. The match will be played on Thursday, April 1st at Estadio San Mames, Bilbao
Athletic continue to progress under Valverde’s second spell. The Basques are no strangers to working with Ernesto — this is not his first stint in charge. His return to Bilbao was met with great enthusiasm. The first year was somewhat underwhelming — while there were flashes of promise, they ultimately lost out both in the Copa del Rey and in the league, where they finished behind Osasuna in the race for seventh. But in 2023/2024, they secured a strong fifth-place finish and, more importantly, lifted the Copa del Rey. Now, in La Liga, they sit comfortably in fourth, though they fell short in knockout formats this spring. Their return to European football has been impressive: they topped their group with maximum points (19, jointly with Lazio), and then advanced by beating Roma (3-1 at home after a 1-2 loss in Italy) and Rangers (2-0 at San Mamés after a goalless draw in Glasgow). Athletic are currently unbeaten in their last seven home matches across all competitions, with five clean sheets in that span. Their pressing intensity and home support make them a formidable opponent at San Mamés.
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Manchester United managed to save face in 2023/2024 thanks to one isolated triumph — despite poor showings in both the Champions League and Premier League, they won the FA Cup, which briefly extended Erik ten Hag’s tenure. The Dutchman was eventually dismissed, and his successor, Rúben Amorim, fared even worse domestically — United broke negative records in the league and only secured safety in April. In the Europa League, however, results improved after the managerial change — though they started with three draws, the performances began to stabilize. They eased past Real Sociedad in the round of 16, smashing them 4-1 at Old Trafford after a 1-1 draw in Spain. Then came a dramatic quarterfinal against Lyon: after conceding a last-minute equalizer in France, they clawed back from 0-2 down at home, scoring three times between the 114th and 120th minutes to win 5-4 on aggregate. Despite their inconsistency, United have scored in every Europa League match this season, averaging over two goals per game. However, they have also conceded in nine of their last ten outings, often struggling with defensive organization.
The two clubs last met in the Europa League back in 2012. Athletic came out on top in both legs against the Red Devils. Right now, all the momentum is with Valverde’s men. We’re backing the Basques to claim a home win against the erratic English side.
Prediction for the match: Athletic Bilbao to win.
