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Pre-match review Athletic Bilbao vs MU
Manchester United are enduring their worst Premier League campaign in history, but the Europa League is a source of hope. Ruben Amorim’s side are unbeaten in the 2024-25 Europa League, with a 12-game unbeaten run – their longest run in European competition since 2016-17. However, winning just two away games in the competition suggests they are struggling away from home.
Without this achievement, Ruben Amorim would probably have been sacked because his United have lost 11 of their 23 Premier League games. Eight games unbeaten in Europe means the Portuguese has the longest unbeaten start in major European competitions with the Red Devils since Alex Ferguson (11 games).
A big part of United’s success in Europe this season has been down to their ability to score goals, especially in the final minutes of games. This was evident last time out, when they were just minutes from losing 4-2 at home to Lyon in the second half of extra time. Very late goals from Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire gave them a spectacular 5-4 win.
That incredible comeback brought MU's total goals in the European Cup Winners' Cup this season to 28. This is a worthy achievement for the Red Devils, because they are the team with the most shots (222 times) and the most touches in the opponent's penalty area (458 times) in the tournament. Alejandro Garnacho leads the team in both of these parameters. The young Argentine star has received a lot of criticism for his ineffectiveness in playing, but he is still an irreplaceable spearhead for MU and coach Ruben Amorim.
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MU must hope for Garancho |
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao, under the guidance of coach Ernesto Valverde, are a formidable force at San Mamés. The Spanish team are unbeaten in their last 10 home games, winning seven. Notably, they have won all six of their Europa League home games this season, scoring 14 goals and conceding just two. This impressive record has seen Bilbao rated highly by the Opta supercomputer with a 48.8% chance of winning the first leg.
The home side suffered a major blow when star midfielder Oihan Sancet was injured in the match against Las Palmas last weekend. Oihan Sancet is fourth on the La Liga scoring list this season with 15 goals and is considered the "conductor" of Bilbao. His importance is similar to Bruno Fernandes's for MU. Losing Oihan Sancet could force coach Ernesto Valverde to change his plans even if Nico Williams recovers in time.
However, Bilbao's squad is still much more complete than MU, who have just lost Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee due to injury. Amad Diallo and Matthijs de Ligt are in the squad flying to Spain, but the chances of these two players playing are not high.
With home advantage and a more complete squad, Bilbao is capable of causing trouble for MU. Unlike MU's previous opponents, Bilbao has a solid defense. They are not the usual Spanish team with a ball control and proactive attacking style of play. On the contrary, Bilbao plays very pragmatic football and this style of play will certainly cause MU problems.
Head-to-head history, form Athletic Bilbao vs MU
The two teams met in the 2012 Europa League, with Marcelo Bielsa's Bilbao beating United in both legs of the last-16 tie (3-2 at Old Trafford and 2-1 at San Mamés). Further back, in 1956-57, United won 3-0 at home after losing the first leg 5-3. Most recently, the two sides drew 1-1 in a friendly in 2023.
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Supercomputer predicts Athletic Bilbao vs MU result
The Opta supercomputer predicts that Athletic Bilbao have a 48.8% chance of winning, while MU only have a 25.5% chance of winning and a 25.7% chance of drawing. With home advantage and impressive form, Bilbao are rated higher. However, the ability to shine of Bruno Fernandes and the sharp attack of United could help them create a surprise.
Expected lineup Athletic Bilbao vs MU
Athletic Bilbao : Simon; Gorosabel, Vivian, Alvarez, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I. Williams, Berenguer, N. Williams; Guruzeta
MU: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Score prediction: Bilbao 2-1 MU
Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhan-dinh-athletic-bilbao-vs-mu-2h00-ngay-25-kho-cho-quy-do-post1738768.tpo
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