New Delhi: English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur took commanding leads in the first-leg semifinals of the UEFA Europa League, enjoying a dream night on Thursday, as they beat Athletic Club and Bodø/Glimt, respectively. The wins have positioned both sides favourably for the second leg and on course for the £100m winner-takes-all final.
Athletic Club hosted Manchester United at San Mamés, and the visitors produced a one-sided game, taking it away 3-0 and silencing a passionate home crowd in Bilbao. The deadlock was broken in the 30th minute when Casemiro headed in the opener, resulting from Harry Maguire’s corner flick. Only seven minutes afterward, United doubled their lead as Dani Vivian put up a clumsy challenge on Alejandro Garnacho, which earned United a penalty and Vivian a red card.
Bruno Fernandes came into the picture and calmly converted the spot-kick. Now that Athletic Club were reduced to 10 men, United started capitalising on the advantage they had. In the stoppage time of the first half, Manuel Ugarte executed a sharp backheel in the box, which Fernandes latched onto and scored his second goal of the night. The Portuguese midfielder has been exceptional for United, as he has largely impacted their influence in their European campaign.
The home side struggled to create opportunities for themselves, mainly after going a man down. United stood strong in their defense, too, as Maguire and Lisandro Martinez proved crucial to earn a clean sheet. With a solid aggregate of 3-0 and the return leg clash at Old Trafford, Bruno’s side is in an authoritative position to reach the final.
One step closer to the #UEL final… pic.twitter.com/Q9joNDUOhu
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 1, 2025
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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur cruised to victories with commanding performances over Athletic Club and Bodø/Glimt respectively, in the first-leg semifinals of the Europa League on Thursday. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
