Team News
Manchester United enter their Europa League semi-final second leg with several injury concerns, most notably Matthijs de Ligt, who limped off against Brentford with a muscle issue. He and midfielder Toby Collyer (leg) will face late fitness tests. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez (knee), Joshua Zirkzee (thigh), Diogo Dalot (calf), and Ayden Heaven (ankle) remain unavailable.
Chido Obi-Martin, who made history as United’s youngest Premier League starter last weekend, is ineligible for European competition. That opens the door for Rasmus Højlund to lead the line, with Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho expected to support him in attack. Amad Diallo could be rewarded with a start at right wing-back following several energetic cameos, potentially shifting Noussair Mazraoui into a back-three if Victor Lindelöf is not selected.
Athletic Club must also reshuffle after Dani Vivian’s red card in the first leg. Aitor Paredes is likely to partner Yeray Álvarez at the heart of the defence. Ernesto Valverde is sweating on the fitness of talismanic winger Nico Williams, experienced full-back Óscar De Marcos, and top scorer Oihan Sancet, who missed the first leg with a hamstring issue. Should they miss out, Inaki Williams and Álex Berenguer are poised to start out wide, with Unai Gómez likely to occupy the No.10 role behind Maroan Sannadi or Gorka Guruzeta. If De Marcos is unavailable, Andoni Gorosabel may fill in at right-back.
Form Guide
Manchester United produced a stunning first-leg display, winning 3-0 in Bilbao thanks to a Bruno Fernandes brace and a header from Casemiro—all inside the first 45 minutes. That result ended Athletic’s flawless European home record and marked their first loss at San Mamés in over eight months.
Ruben Amorim’s side remain unbeaten in this season’s Europa League (W8 D5) and are on the verge of reaching the final without defeat—a feat achieved by only six teams in tournament history. Despite their European resilience, United’s domestic form paints a grim picture: they sit 15th in the Premier League with just 39 points from 35 games, confirming their lowest-ever points tally in the PL era and eliminating any hopes of finishing higher than 12th. Champions League qualification now hinges entirely on Europa League success.
Athletic, meanwhile, have hit turbulence at the worst possible time. Not since 2011-12 have they reached a European final, and their chance to do so on home soil hangs by a thread. They’ve won just five of their last 14 La Liga fixtures, allowing Villarreal to close the gap to three points with four matches left. Their most recent outing—a 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad—typified their attacking bluntness, managing only one shot on target over 90 minutes.
Predicted Outcome
Athletic must go for broke in front of goal but may struggle to overturn a three-goal deficit against a United side that thrives in transition. The Red Devils have only kept two clean sheets in their last nine outings, but with Old Trafford behind them and quality up front, they should have enough to weather the storm and confirm their place in the Europa League final.
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