Manchester United ripped up Athletic Club’s perfect home record in this season’s UEFA Europa League, delivering a ruthless 3-0 first-leg statement in Bilbao to seize control of their semi-final.
Alejandro Garnacho’s early effort was chalked off for offside, but the Red Devils soon asserted themselves, riding early pressure from the hosts before making their mark.
Casemiro opened the scoring with a close-range header after Harry Maguire, operating unusually out wide, danced past Mikel Jauregizar and helped set up the chance.
Athletic’s night then unraveled when Dani Vivian’s desperate pull on Rasmus Højlund earned him a red card and gave Bruno Fernandes the chance to double the lead from the spot, one he dispatched without hesitation.
Fernandes struck again before the break, taking advantage of the chaos to silence San Mames and pile on the misery.
The second half saw United shift down a gear, content to frustrate their opponents as chances continued to trickle in.
Casemiro struck the post, and Julen Agirrezabala made late saves to deny Garnacho and Fernandes further damage, but the damage was already done.
For United, it was a first win inside 90 minutes in eight outings and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
For Athletic, who now face the daunting task of chasing a three-goal deficit at Old Trafford, their dream of contesting the final in their own backyard is slipping fast.
