Athletic Bilbao are not Lyon and certainly not the kind of teams like Wolves that United have faced. More specifically, the San Mames stadium, where Bilbao plays, is almost an impregnable fortress.
In their last 10 games here, they have won 6, drawn 3 and suffered only one defeat against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey. The passionate atmosphere from the San Mames home crowd is an advantage that cannot be overlooked, having made both Barcelona and Real Madrid feel regretful.
In official confrontations, the "Red Devils" have never defeated Athletic Bilbao, losing both matches in the round of 16 of the Europa League 2011/12. In addition, the two teams met in a friendly match in 2023 in Dublin (Ireland), ending in a 1-1 draw.
Midfield Battle
Bilbao's style of play is also something that many English teams fear. The Basque team applies a flexible attacking style, constantly switching positions, combining high pressing, sharp counter-attacks and two-layer defense.
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Bilbao applied a flexible attacking style of play, constantly switching positions, combining high pressing, sharp counter-attacks and two-layer defense. Photo: Opta. |
Under Ernesto Valverde, Bilbao no longer win many duels, but there has been a marked improvement in their ability to recover the ball.
In particular, no team in La Liga is better at winning the ball back in midfield than them. Bilbao currently average 22.5 possession wins per game in midfield, more than any other team in Spain's top flight.
In addition, the Basque team also has an average of 52.1 ball recoveries per game, just a little less than the league leader Rayo Vallecano (52.2).
This raises the question of whether United can match Bilbao's physicality, not only in the tackles but also in winning second balls.
Not only in the middle of the field, with the ability to move intelligently and make unexpected breakthroughs, the two Williams brothers will be a constant threat to any defense.
Ruben Amorim has so far stuck to his 3-4-3 system, deploying two wing-backs high up the pitch and attacking wide to stretch the opposition defence. Opta believes that against Bilbao, this will be a big problem that will test the MU wingers to their limits.
Nico Williams was one of the most sought-after transfer targets last summer, and there’s a chance he could be in for another transfer saga this summer. Only Lamine Yamal (253) and Vinícius Júnior (182) have completed more dribbles in Europe’s top leagues this season than Nico (178).
On the opposite side, Inaki is an equally dangerous threat. He has received 122 long passes this season, the fourth most of any player in La Liga, providing a great option to escape pressing and play the ball wide down the right flank.
The question for Amorim is simple. Does he risk pushing his wing-backs high and wide, stretching Bilbao’s full-backs and creating space for a player like Rasmus Højlund to exploit? It might work, but it’s also a gamble that could end in tears for the English side.
Dangerous fuses
The Williams brothers are not the only "weapons" that the Basque team possesses. Last season, coach Valverde successfully discovered the name Gorka Guruzeta, the 28-year-old striker who scored 14 goals and had 5 assists.
This season, the new discovery is Maroan Sannadi. More specifically, this striker is a completely different version of Guruzeta.
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Nico Williams will be the dangerous explosive that MU's defense must decode. Photo: Opta. |
Opta likened Guruzeta to a "master" of unlocking defenses, while Sannadi was a "sledgehammer". Standing at 1.92m tall, the 24-year-old striker is a typical striker with nearly 7 touches in the opponent's penalty area per game, much higher than Guruzeta's 4.3.
In a chaotic match, if the MU players are not disciplined and get caught up in the flexible substitutions from Bilbao, Sannadi can quickly stretch the opponent's formation and create valuable spaces.
Another question for Amorim is how he will try to break down Valverde’s deep-lying midfield. Bilbao are very good at knowing when to press and when to drop deep.
This means that if they proactively approach and apply high pressure, the "Red Devils" will have to face the most effective "traps" in La Liga.
Accordingly, only Barcelona (317 times) has more high-level ball wins (statistics of winning the ball within 40 meters of the opponent's goal line) than Bilbao this season (271 times). From the 4-4-2 formation, the Basque team has diversity in their pressing.
Inaki and Nico could well push forward to form a front three if United tried to play wide, while the two strikers would suffocate the central midfield duo, eliminating any hope of playing through the middle and forcing Amorim’s men to play long.
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Bilbao are very good at knowing when to press and when to sit deep. Photo: Opta. |
With MU striker Joshua Zirkzee injured, while Højlund often seems to be at a disadvantage in aerial duels, this is clearly not a good idea for MU.
Another possible option is to use Bruno Fernandes to drop deeper to escape the press and find the ball. However, Amorim may need the Portuguese midfielder to be in a more advanced position to be a penetrating option.
It was a tactical tug of war and a risk that United had to win, because once suffocated, it was almost impossible for the English team to escape without damage.
Source: https://znews.vn/cam-bay-cho-don-mu-tai-san-mames-post1550280.html
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