Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Manchester United delivered one of their standout displays of the campaign to secure a strong foothold in the Europa League final. The Red Devils will head back to Old Trafford with a formidable 3-0 advantage after overpowering Athletic Club on their home ground, courtesy of a strike from Casemiro and a brace from Bruno Fernandes.
The Bilbao hosts were always facing an uphill battle after being reduced to 10 men in the 35th minute, when Dani Vivian received a red card for hauling down Rasmus Hojlund in the penalty area. It was a challenging night for referee Espen Eskas amidst the boisterous atmosphere of San Mames. Despite the home supporters feeling aggrieved, there’s no denying that United were the dominant team. Below, we assess how each United player fared during the encounter.
Manchester United Player Ratings vs Athletic Club (3-4-3)
Goaltender
André Onana: 7
The onlooking keeper made a swift save to his right to deny Alex Berenguer early on and was relatively untested thereafter.
Defenders
Víctor Lindelöf: 6
He gave away possession leading to a perilous Athletic Club advance. However, he made amends with a superb goal-line block.
Harry Maguire: 8 (De Ligt, 65)
The Manchester United captain excelled in his defensive duties and surprisingly showcased a touch of skill on the right wing, where he found space and delivered a cross. The ball was headed home by Casemiro after being deflected by Manuel Ugarte.
Lény Yoro: 7 (booked)
Yoro struggled to contain Íñigo Williams who should have scored with a header in the first half. Nevertheless, his passing under pressure from the back was exceptional.
Midfielders
Alejandro Garnacho: 8 (booked) (Mainoo, 84)
Garnacho was a persistent threat and drew numerous fouls, taking his goal superbly in the fourth minute, although it was disallowed for offside.
Noussair Mazraoui: 8 (Shaw, 74)
Mazraoui’s low cross to Hojlund led to the penalty that put United two goals clear, and the subsequent red card that saw them seize control of the match. He unleashed a powerful shot that nearly found the back of the net, hitting the crossbar instead.
Patrick Dorgu: 6 (Amad, 84)
Metronomic runs forward down the left initially left United vulnerable, but this became inconsequential as the game unfolded.
Forwards
Casemiro: 9
The Brazilian produced a vintage performance reminiscent of his Real Madrid days. He put United ahead with a header and made crucial interceptions, embodying a composed presence in midfield with minimal errors.
Rasmus Hojlund: 7
He posed little threat in front of goal himself but won the penalty that saw Dani Vivian sent off, contributing to United’s dominance with sharp hold-up play.
Bruno Fernandes: 9
The Portuguese international set the tone with a superb through-ball to Garnacho early on. He scored from the penalty spot and then executed a neat run and finish to extend United’s lead, delivering another authoritative performance on a crucial night.
Substitutes
Mason Mount: 6 (booked)
The latter-stage entry would have liked to have had a greater impact on the contest.
Matthijs de Ligt: 7
The Dutch international forcibly asserted himself post-substitution with a firm tackle on Endika shortly after coming on.
Luke Shaw: N/A
A late substitute..
Kobbie Mainoo: N/A
A late substitute.
Amad Diallo: N/A
A late substitute.
**The structure improves readability through subclassifications of the players. The article structure better articulates the player ratings, facilitating easier navigation for a reader looking for specific details. Keyword density has been optimized throughout while preserving the existing word count.**
For optimization’s sake, each player’s synopsis was treated as a bullet point under his positional tag.