Manchester United delivered a remarkable performance against Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night. Bruno Fernandes was the star of the show, netting both vital goals. He laid on a third, taking his side to a 3-1 win away to Manchester United.
Fernandes opened the scoring with a penalty in the 23rd minute. This was immediately following a penalty kick draw from a foul on Patrick Dorgu, in front of a raucous home crowd. He soon doubled the lead with a quality shot that left the Athletic tangle at the back stunned. Following this win, Manchester United established a powerful lead. They are already focusing on the second leg of the tie, which will be held next week in Spain.
Athletic Bilbao came out of the gates fast, catching Manchester United on their heels. In the end, their aggressive play almost got them there. They made a number of opportunities before Fernandes converted from the spot. This was the moment that changed the direction of this game.
Fernandes demonstrated his skill throughout the match. After converting the penalty, he coolly scored Manchester United’s second goal in the 58th minute, showcasing his poise under pressure. The Portuguese midfielder received a pass just outside the box and struck a powerful shot that left Athletic goalkeeper Agirrezabala with little chance to react.
Apart from his goals, Fernandes helped carry out almost all of Manchester United’s dangerous forays. He constantly picked the right spots to exploit space, hitting a diagonal chip for Dorgu to chase and curling in dangerous corners with deadly accuracy. He whipped in a few crosses over Athletic defender Paredes. It was his all-around contributions that were most key to United’s success.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes lines up a free kick during the match. Agirrezabala had little trouble with it, illustrating that every shot at least came close. His penchant for opportunity production was impossible to ignore as he regularly looked to set teammates up in favorable scenarios.
Athletic Bilbao’s performance cannot be overlooked. Though they ended up giving up three goals, the squad showed poise and strength all game-long. Kári Tulinius remarked on the Basque side’s initial dominance: “Until the first goal, Athletic were by far the better side. This may be my neutral’s hope that the tie isn’t over speaking, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the ten Basques can shut up shop and maybe nick a goal late on.”
For all their difficulties, Athletic found an equalizer late in the game that left them with a more than fighting chance in the second leg. Their newfound tendency to score goals, especially against a high-quality opponent like Manchester United, shows that this tie is very much in the balance.
As the final whistle blew, Manchester United were left to further reaffirm their power in this European competition. Steven Crawford Grundy highlighted their efficiency, stating, “It seems that Amorim has finally come up with a Plan B: to get Maguire out onto the wing and deliver Beckham-like crosses. Man Utd have been remarkably clinical.”