Madrid (Spain), April 30 (IANS) Athletic Bilbao and Manchester United go head-to-head in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semifinal in the San Mames Stadium on Thursday night. Athletic get into the match with a 100 percent record on its home ground, while Manchester United is unbeaten in the tournament, meaning that something has to give.
There are high hopes in Bilbao that Athletic can reach the third European final in the club’s history, with the added incentive that the final will be played at its San Mames stadium on May 21, reports Xinhua.
United, meanwhile, have the Europa League as the only way to save a miserable campaign and qualify for Europe next season, although coach Ruben Amorim did not rest anyone for the 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth at the weekend, fielding a strong side including Bruno Fernandes, who is the heart of his side’s creative play.
After a rare weekend without a game, Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde has virtually a full squad to choose from, with attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet the only absentee as he struggles with yet another muscle injury.
Sancet is the top scorer and penalty taker and will be missed, although Valverde can decide between Unai Garcia or Alex Berenguer as replacements.
Veterans Oscar de Marcos and Yuri Berchiche will play as full-backs for Athletic, with Spain international Dani Vivian and Yeray Alvarez in central defense. Vivian’s duels with Harry Maguire at set pieces promise to be one of the key tactical battles of the game.
Mikel Jauregizar and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta will play in central midfield, where they face an important battle against Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro, while in attack Maruan Sannabi will lead the line, partnered by the Williams brothers Inaki and Nico on the flanks.
Nobody in Bilbao has forgotten the Europa League meeting between the two clubs in the last-16 in 2012, which saw Athletic outplay United to win 3-2 at Old Trafford and follow that up with a 2-1 win in San Mames for a 5-3 aggregate win that did not really reflect its dominance on the pitch.
Few cities in the world get behind their football team in the way Bilbao does, and streets, bars, and balconies will be festooned with Athletic’s red and white colours for what promises to be a tense and emotional day in one of the biggest games in the club’s history.
–IANS
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