Europa League news: Manchester Utd dispatch Athletic Club to set up final date with Tottenham

Manchester United booked their place in the Europa League final with a clinical 4-1 victory over Athletic Club Bilbao in the second leg of their semi-final on Thursday night.

Goals from Mason Mount, Casemiro, and Rasmus Hojlund cancelled out Mikel Jauregizar’s opener to set up a comprehensive 7-1 aggregate win over the high-flying Spanish side.

Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils will now meet Tottenham Hotspur in the final at Bilbao’s San Mamés Stadium on 21 May.

Sports News Blitz writer Robert Bore reviews the game at Old Trafford.

Optimism in short supply ahead of second-leg clash

It was former Great Britain 400m runner and World Champion Kriss Akabusi who coined the phrase “P-M-A”.

“You can't run like Linford [Christie] without PMA,” he told me.

Okay, he didn't actually tell me personally – he told anyone watching ITV in the early 1990s on an advert for washing powder brand Persil, but it clearly struck a chord.

Positive Mental Attitude. “P-M-A”.

Well, I use Daz capsules Kriss my friend, so you can stick your Persil-branded PMA where the sun don't shine.

With that said, no amount of psychology can prevent a feeling of impending doom and deep down I knew it was going to be no different going into the second leg against Athletic Club.

Amorim kept faith in the side that started in Bilbao as United looked to book a ninth major European final.

And despite a three-goal cushion and Bilbao missing their frontline firepower of Oihan Sancet, Iñaki Williams, and his brethren Nico, this is United 2.0(25).

Anything can happen and it usually does.

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Shaky opening period from hosts

The first scare came on eight minutes when Alex Berenguer curled narrowly over the bar after Noussair Mazraoui had decided to bring the ball down for Bilbao in his own box and give the visiting number 7 the freedom of Manchester 12 yards out.

Berenguer was the chief destroyer a week ago in the pockets behind his forward players before being sacrificed shortly after Bilbao's red card – clearly nobody watched the clips on the EasyJet flight home.

Regardless, Bilbao were at Old Trafford to have a go and indeed had nothing to lose. This worried me.

Come on Mr Bore, remember Kriss: “P-M-A, P-M-A”.

There were then a couple of half-chances for the hosts and Patrick Dorgu went down a little too easily after surging into the box, but there didn't look to be much in it before VAR climbed back in its hole.

Mazraoui also copped himself a yellow card after clocking Maroan Sannadi with a bit of elbow and 25 minutes had already eroded.

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Visitors take the lead to narrow aggregate deficit

Berenguer continued to be involved in most things good from Bilbao.

Short in stature, he was almost hobbit-like alongside the bigger units on the pitch but with better hair and booted feet.

And then, as my gut had predicted all day, it happened.

Harry Maguire, hero of the hour a week ago, turned villain seven days later, giving the ball away sloppily in front of his own box after a hopeful punt long by the visitors.

The initial shot was blocked but, when the ball fell at his feet, Jauregizar curled it beautifully into the top corner and past a flailing Andre Onana.

United hadn't got going and now Bilbao had a whiff of something.

“P-M-A, P-M-A”.

Dorgu subsequently took the ball off Bruno Fernandes' toes but saw his shot blocked and the ship really needed steadying.

The goalscorer was shown a yellow after going in late on Manuel Ugarte and it felt like Amorim needed the half-time chat.

It should have been 1-1 before the break though.

Dorgu slipped a lovely weighted ball through the Bilbao backline and Alejandro Garnacho was on it in a flash, striding clear and going one-on-one with goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala, but his dink round the ‘keeper flopped wide of the post.

Half-time came without further damage. Clearly it was going to be a big second 45 minutes.

“P-M-A, P-M-A”.

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Red Devils struggle to find equaliser

United started the second half in the same vein as the first and Bilbao were immediately on the front foot again.

And it was painful – the pressure was building and United were seemingly unsure how to counter.

The first changes came around the hour, just after Casemiro was carded, and it was three for each side.

The Bilbao ones were too complicated and my P-M-A was waning.

Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, and Amad Diallo were thrown in for Mazraoui, Garnacho, and Ugarte on the Red Devils side.

Would this awaken the hosts from what had been an hour of malaise?

Diallo made an instant impact, running at his full-back although it came to nothing in the end, and it appeared to be the spark Amorim wanted.

The players weren't doing my nerves much good, Victor Lindelöf winning the ball well but then giving it away on the edge of his own box and allowing Aingeru Olabarrieta to fire wide.

United were 70 mins in and without a shot on target, all of the season's previous foibles laid bare for everyone to see.

“P-M-A, P-M-A”.

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Four unanswered goals seal final spot

Then, suddenly, it was Boom Town.

Leny Yoro did really well, surging into the box after United recycled the ball and dropping a touch into Mount.

The England man threw in a little Cruyff turn that earned him space and curled the ball into the same corner as Jauregizar. The place erupted, a cauldron full to the brim with Mancunian positivity.

I admit that I cracked a smile.

The tie was then put to bed in the 79th minute, when Casemiro rose like a salmon in spring to head home Fernandes' free-kick. Job done, Bilbao-bound.

Suddenly the shackles were off.

Bilbao were 'out, out' when Hojlund tapped home the third from close range but Mount still wasn't done yet.

The injury-ravaged former Chelsea man was alert as the ‘keeper fluffed a clearance to the United man just inside the Bilbao half, and he launched the ball beyond everyone and into the back of the net with his left foot.

It was some cameo from United's number 7.

And while the damage was clearly done a week ago, the introduction of Mount and Amad ultimately sealed the deal and eased the nerves.

Mount even said it himself post-match: “I tried to stay positive”. Maybe Mr Akabusi was onto something.

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