Bilbao's fate will be decided at Old Trafford.

Bilbao's hopes of competing for a Europa League final spot with Man United are dwindling if they fail to impress in the return match at Old Trafford at 2 AM on May 9th.

The unbelievable 0-3 defeat at home a week ago has virtually slammed the door shut on Bilbao's chances of reaching the Europa League final.

A battle for survival

The Spanish team hasn't reached the final of a European cup competition in 13 years and it looks they'll have to wait at least another season before they can hope to fulfill that wish. The situation worsened for Bilbao when they conceded three goals and had a defender sent off in the first half of the first leg of the semi-final.

Knowing that Ernesto Valverde's team had won all six of their previous Europa League matches at San Mames, and hadn't lost at home in over eight months across all competitions, it's clear how disastrous the stumble against Man United was. Man United currently have no hope left in domestic competitions, especially the Premier League, so Bilbao couldn't expect the Old Trafford side to take it easy in the second leg.

Last weekend, manager Ruben Amorim even rested eight key players, accepting a painful 3-4 defeat against Brentford in order to focus all his efforts on the crucial battle against Bilbao. Nearly three weeks prior, Old Trafford witnessed one of the most dramatic matches in Europa League history. The Red Devils staged a miraculous comeback to win 5-4 against Lyon and advance to the semi-finals. Returning home for this decisive battle for a place in the final, Manchester United knows what they need to do to keep their hopes alive and avoid a disastrous season.

Man United are determined to reach the Europa League final. (Photo: MAN UNITED FC)

Complacency is not allowed.

Simply avoiding defeat would guarantee qualification, but Manchester United couldn't risk their fate. Many teams have paid a heavy price for hesitating between the need to win and settling for a draw, ultimately ending up empty-handed. Coach Ruben Amorim's loud warning to Bilbao that they could win 3-0 in the second leg was meant to prevent his players from becoming complacent.

With attacking duo Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams absent, and center-back Dani Vivian suspended, Bilbao's attack and defense are seriously hampered at this critical time. If coach Valverde doesn't make timely adjustments, Bilbao's already difficult situation will only worsen. In the 34th round of La Liga last weekend, the Basque team was held to a 0-0 draw by Sociedad, seriously threatening their fourth-place position and a Champions League spot for next season.

Conversely, both former and current captain Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes are outstanding figures in the "Red Devils" squad. Bruno Fernandes has already contributed 7 goals and continues to excel in his role as a playmaker. Maguire is now shining as a winger, even as a forward. The impressive form of both is carrying the entire Manchester United train towards an unbeaten record in the Europa League this season.

The history of European cups shows that 133 teams that won by a margin of three goals away from home in the first leg of a knockout round went on to advance. Manchester United hope they are not an exception, partly because of their convincing performance at Bilbao last week.

Unless there's a truly earth-shattering surprise on the morning of May 9th at Old Trafford, Manchester United will be in their first Europa League final in four years, since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time in charge during the 2020-2021 season.

Manchester United have a great chance of winning a European trophy, which would indirectly bring them back to the Champions League next season. Eight seasons have passed without the "Red Devils" lifting the trophy outside of England.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/dinh-doat-so-phan-bilbao-tai-old-trafford-19625050721592876.htm