United marched into their first European final under Ruben Amorim, with confidence surging and Mount rediscovering his form at the right time.
Manchester United stormed into the Europa League final with a resounding 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday night and a dominant 7-1 aggregate victory. The Red Devil’s victory set up a mouth-watering all-English final clash against Tottenham Hotspur at San Mames Stadium on May 21.
Athletic were missing key players namely Nico and Inaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, and Dani Vivian. However, they did have an early moment of hope but they simply couldn’t match United’s second-half intensity.
The first half offered little in terms of goalmouth action. The raucous atmosphere at Old Trafford was met by a cautious opening on the pitch. Athletic’s Mikel Jauregizar broke the deadlock against the run of play with a fine curling effort. The goal gave the visitors brief hope as they headed into the interval with a 1-0 lead. Alex Berenguer had a few half-chances for the visitors but United’s backline held firm.
The glimmer of hope that Athletic had was quickly extinguished after the break as substitute Mason Mount turned the game on its head. Introduced on the hour mark as part of a triple change alongside Luke Shaw and Amad Diallo, Mount made an instant impact. In the 72nd minute, Mount received a pass from Leny Yoro and he curled in a sublime equaliser. His strike levelled the match and put United 4-1 ahead on aggregate.
Moments later, Casemiro made it 2-1 on the night, heading home Bruno Fernandes’s near-post delivery from a set piece. Athletic’s resistance crumbled, and Rasmus Hojlund added a third, tucking in from close range after a dynamic run and low cross from Diallo.
Mount wasn’t done yet. With the clock winding down, the 25-year-old capped off a stellar cameo with a breathtaking 45-yard lob that caught Athletic keeper Julen Agirrezabala off his line. The performance capped a memorable night at Old Trafford and maintained United’s unbeaten record in the competition.
The Red Devils now march into their first European final under Ruben Amorim, with confidence surging and Mount rediscovering his form at the right time.
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