Europa League

UNDER-FIRE bosses Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou will face off in a tasty first all-English Euro final for six years.Two Mason Mount wonder strikes, plus further Old Trafford goals from Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund completed Manchester United’s  7-1 aggregate Europa League semi-final demolition of Athletic Bilbao.Tottenham Hotspur have booked their spot in the Europa League finalCredit: GettyManchester United thrashed Athletic Bilbao in their semi-finalCredit: EPARuben Amorim is already ‘stressed’ at the thought of the finalCredit: AlamyAnge Postecoglou could still face the axe if he wins the tournamentCredit: APWhile Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro sealed Tottenham’s 2-0 win  on Bodo/Glimt’s plastic pitch to complete a 5-1 aggregate win and the full English.United manager Amorim and Spurs chief Postecoglou will now meet in a mouth-watering winner-takes-all showdown back in Bilbao in 12 days.For the Aussie, it might be his last ever game in charge of the club, with it believed he could be sacked even if they win.A delighted Mount said: “My first goals at Old Trafford, so it’s a special night. One I’ve waited for, for a long time.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL“It’s been difficult since I’ve been here with the injuries and setbacks.“But I knew something good would come and it’s paid off in a semi-final.“It was a brilliant performance from the lads. And getting that goal to make it 1-1 calmed us down a bit. I just tried to come on and affect the game.”Mount’s second was a David Beckham-esque long-range shot.He added: “As I saw the keeper come out I had it in my head, ‘First touch and shoot’.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS“The crowd has been unbelievable. They stuck with us. To go back to  Bilbao, a special night and we want to finish strong.”Both clubs have suffered woeful Prem seasons but the victors are guaranteed a Champions League spot – and the £100million bounty that comes with it.Man Utd and Spurs on course for £100m winner-takes-all Europa League final despite two of their worst seasons everMan Utd ratings vs Bilbao as magnifent Mount sends Red Devils to Europa League final but ineffective Garnacho hooked earlyMANCHESTER UNITED all-but booked their spot in the Europa League final a week ago.And, despite a brief first-half wobble, it was never really in doubt at Old Trafford on Thursday night as the Red Devils secured a comeback 4-1 win at home over Athletic Bilbao.Mikel Jaureguizar sent a nervous shiver around the ground with his fine effort on the half-hour mark.United struggled to click and no doubt some feared of an almighty collapse.But, when Ruben Amorim turned to the bench, it made all the difference – as Amad Diallo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount were all involved in Mount’s delightful equaliser.Casemiro scored with a clever header and even Rasmus Hojlund got in on the act to tap in.Then Mount finish the job in style with his long-range effort into an empty net. Smiles all round. Now United have an all-English blockbuster with Spurs later this month to save their dreadful season.Roll on, Bilbao…Here’s how SunSport’s Joshua Jones rated Ruben Amorim’s men at Old Trafford…This means that England will have SIX representatives in Europe’s premier competition next season.The feat has never been achieved before by any nation competing in the competition.It will be extra remarkable as both clubs are guaranteed to finish in the bottom half of the Prem.Combined they have lost 35 league games this season but have remained impressive in European competition.And Amorim said: “I’m stressed already because of the final. If we don’t win it, it’s nothing.”It will be Tottenham’s first Euro final since suffering a heartbreak 2-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool in 2019 — the same year Chelsea KO’d Arsenal 4-1 in the Europa League showpiece.Spurs had a 3-1 lead from the first leg but romped to another win on the night thanks to goals from Solanke and  Porro.Solanke said: “It feels so good. We’re down to the business end and we’re into the final. One more game to go!”Read More on The SunSpaniard Porro added: “We’re very happy for the fans —  it’s so far from London. We deserved this.”Spurs will have the edge going into the final, having won all three encounters with United this season.Spurs record vs Man United Here is a look at Spurs’ record vs Manchester United from this season.PL – Man United 0-3 Spurs – Sept 29, 2024EFL Cup – Spurs 4-3 Man United – Dec 19, 2024PL – Spurs 1-0 Man United – Feb 16, 2025Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford More

MANCHESTER UNITED all-but booked their spot in the Europa League final a week ago.And, despite a brief first-half wobble, it was never really in doubt at Old Trafford on Thursday night as the Red Devils secured a 4-1 comeback win at home over Athletic Bilbao.Mason Mount scored twice to seal United’s spot in the finalCredit: PAThere was a party atmosphere at Old TraffordCredit: EPAMikel Jaureguizar sent a nervous shiver around the ground with his fine effort on the half-hour mark.United struggled to click and no doubt some feared of an almighty collapse.But, when Ruben Amorim turned to the bench, it made all the difference – as Amad Diallo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount were all involved in Mount’s delightful equaliser.Casemiro scored with a clever header and even Rasmus Hojlund got in on the act to tap in.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThen Mount finish the job in style with his long-range effort into an empty net. Smiles all round. Now United have an all-English blockbuster with Spurs later this month to save their dreadful season.Roll on, Bilbao…Andre Onana – 6/10Came and made a massive punch clear from a dangerous-looking free-kick early on to alleviate the pressure. Most read in Europa LeagueOn first viewing, it looked like he was beaten all ends up by the Jaureguizar strike – but replays showed his got fingers to it… and he may be disappointed he couldn’t tip it past the post. Had nothing else to do, really.JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSVictor Lindelof – 3Will have been uttery overjoyed to see Nico Williams ruled out through injury.But even so, Lindelof looked distinctly nervy on the ball, repeatedly needlessly clipping it out of play down the touchline to hand possession and territory back to the Spaniards. Surely playing his last few matches for the club, one has to imagine. A weak link and unreliable right now. ‘Were we not good enough-‘ – Man Utd legend Roy Keane takes cheeky dig at David Beckham over 50th birthday snubHarry Maguire – 4The hero in the quarter-final here but it was his mistake that sent the anxiety levels through the leaky roof at Old Trafford. A sloppy pass that was meant for Yoro only picked out Alvaro Djalo whose blocked shot fell for Jaureguizar to curl into the top corner. Not the only time he gave the ball away, admittedly none were as costly as the goal. Leny Yoro – 7Certainly not the biggest culprit out there in what was a woeful first hour but hardly stood up and performed, either. Then seemed to get a bit of attacking impetus. Did one mazy run forwards and got into an excellent position on the edge of the area – before producing a centre-back’s pass when he needed a more delicate ball to feed Diallo. But found the right pass when striding forward to tee up Mount to score.Noussair Mazraoui – 5Played more of a right-back with Dorgu allowed to push on and did his defensive work largely okay.Except for the fact that he almost handed Athletic the perfect start with his nothing headed clearance in his own area from an overhit cross gifted the ball to Unai Gomez who set up Alex Berenguer but he could not keep his shot down. Let off. Booked midway through the first half. Casemiro – 8Seems to be looking fitter, stronger and – dare I say – younger with every passing game these days. Most things went through the Brazilian who is brimming with confidence – epitomised by a cheeky backheel flick to pick out Hojlund. But he seemed to be sucked down by his struggling colleagues and was booked for a late, strong challenge. Put the icing on the cake of a strong performance with a flicked header from a corner for United’s second.Manuel Ugarte – 4 Provided some much-needed scrappiness in the middle of the park and got involved.But didn’t stamp any authority on the game, though, and didn’t retain possession well enough in both halves of the pitch. Patrick Dorgu – 5Tried his best to make something happen going forwards – once even too hard as he nicked a ball off his captain’s toes as he lined one up – but looks very much a left-back, not a wing-back. Half-hearted appeal for a penalty was somehow looked at by VAR but there is still some slither of sense in football as the check was completed with no further action taken. Switched over to the right when Luke Shaw came on. Bruno Fernandes – 5As usual, the man United looked to to make something, anything happen.But even the Portuguese playmaker had a hard time doing that, resorting to pop shots and whining about free-kicks. Must be so frustrating for him to play in this team when his quality is so many levels above that of those around him.But today, he was no better than the rest of the largely dire starters. Rasmus Hojlund – 6For a £72million striker, it is staggering how Hojlund can look as lost as a little boy who has can’t find his mum in a supermarket when playing up front. Yes, he occasionally gets in the right areas and from time to time holds the ball up to link in with others.And yes, he got that tap in right at the end which his pals were evidently delighted about… but the lost little boy could have put that in the net. Despite the goal, as harsh as it sounds, tonight was yet more painfully obvious that Manchester United MUST sign a proper No9 this summer. Alejandro Garnacho – 3Had one moment of any real note. The golden chance to calm everyone down when clean through on goal before half-time.But never gave the impression he was going to find the net… and his limp chip dribbled wide. A worrying lack of goal threat from the Argentine and rightly hooked off early. A bitterly disappointing performance.  SUBSLuke Shaw (for Mazraoui, 62 mins) – 7Plenty of United fans are ready to see the back of Shaw this summer and his injury record is a nightmare.But there is no doubting when he is fit, he can still be one of England’s best left-backs. Defensively solid and knows what to do when he gets forward, can’t ask for too much more. Amad Diallo (for Garnacho, 62 mins) – 8Immediately got the United fans out of their seats when a neat one-two with Dorgu saw him race down the right and get into the Bilbao box.Nothing came of it but it was at least a statement of intent, something sorely lacking for the first hour. Followed it up with his involvement in the equaliser and was constantly trying to cause damage – and doing exactly that.A stark contrast from Garnacho. Mason Mount (for Ugarte, 62 mins) – 9Shaw was good, Diallo excellent but it is Mount who grabs the headlines. And rightly so. Pretty much his first touch was a header after he just mistimed the jump… only for the ball to be recycled, work its way back to him.The turn and finish was a real peach – prompting a huge sigh of relief for him personally and for everyone connected to United.Almost more impressively, just a minute after his goal, Mount put in a crucial foot to nick the ball away by his own left corner flag. And he saved the best until last, scoring from miles out on his left foot when urged to shoot at the unguarded net. He’s certainly not had the United career he wanted so far, but that was his best game in red. Hard not to be pleased for him. Read More on The SunHarry Amass (for Lindelof, 81 mins) – N/AKobbie Mainoo (for Casemiro, 81 mins) – N/AJoin SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford More

JUST when Athletic Bilbao looked like they might climb the mountain – up steps Mason Mount.The England ace climbed off the bench just after the hour when the impossible comeback looked on for the visitors.Mason Mount reminded fans of his ability with two quality goalsCredit: PAThe midfielder cupped his ear after scoring the equaliserCredit: GettyMount swivelled before curling the ball into the bottom cornerCredit: Shutterstock EditorialCasemiro’s header put Man Utd in front on the nightCredit: ReutersRasmus Hojlund copied Mo Salah’s celebration after scoringCredit: EPAMount scored a spectacular effort from close to the halfway lineCredit: GettyHe levelled with a classy goal within 10 minutes – and in stoppage time he scored a stunner with the Bilbao keeper stranded.In between Casemiro – again – and even Rasmus Hojlund got on the scoresheet as United won comfortably in the end.They never do it the easy way here though – and for a while the home fans were sweating.A total of 133 teams have won the away leg of a tie in this competition by three or more goals and all of them have gone through.READ MORE ON MAN UTDThe only exception was when Olympiacos turned around such a deficit last year – but the return leg of their tie against Maccabi Tel Aviv was played on a neutral ground.Despite losing eight of 17 home matches in the Prem this season, United had been beaten in just one of their last 30 Europa League ties at Old Trafford.So it looked a tall order for Ernesto Valverde’s side, who arrived without four of their most high profile players.Brothers Nico and Inaki Williams both missed out with injury along with top scorer Oihan Sancet.Most read in Europa LeagueMeanwhile defensive lynchpin Dani Vivian was suspended following his controversial sending off in the first leg.An early goal would have been ideal for United to settle any nerves but there were plenty both on and off the pitch as there was little sign of a goal.’He’ll be fuming with that,’ says Wayne Rooney after mistaking Cristiano Ronaldo for former Man Utd team-mateAlex Berenguer had an early sight of goal for Bilbao but curled his effort over the bar.While skipper Bruno Fernandes played Alejandro Garnacho through on goal but Julen Agirrezabala raced off his line to stop him.It had been a disjointed start from the home side – such a contrast to their performance in the San Mames a week ago.Berenguer – who caught the eye in the first leg before he was sacrificed in the reshuffle following the red card – curled another effort wide.Patrick Dorgu went down under a tackle by Andoni Gorosabei but the German referee waved away the appeals and the VAR agreed after a brief check.Man Utd ratings vs Bilbao as magnifent Mount sends Red Devils to Europa League final but ineffective Garnacho hooked earlyMANCHESTER UNITED all-but booked their spot in the Europa League final a week ago.And, despite a brief first-half wobble, it was never really in doubt at Old Trafford on Thursday night as the Red Devils secured a comeback 4-1 win at home over Athletic Bilbao.Mikel Jaureguizar sent a nervous shiver around the ground with his fine effort on the half-hour mark.United struggled to click and no doubt some feared of an almighty collapse.But, when Ruben Amorim turned to the bench, it made all the difference – as Amad Diallo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount were all involved in Mount’s delightful equaliser.Casemiro scored with a clever header and even Rasmus Hojlund got in on the act to tap in.Then Mount finish the job in style with his long-range effort into an empty net. Smiles all round. Now United have an all-English blockbuster with Spurs later this month to save their dreadful season.Roll on, Bilbao…Here’s how SunSport’s Joshua Jones rated Ruben Amorim’s men at Old Trafford…The first leg hinged on a penalty and red card which was given after a lengthy review but there was never any danger of this one being given.With a three goal lead still intact, there was no panic about the way United were playing – however out of nowhere the visitors took the lead on the half hour.Harry Maguire missed header and then passed it to Alvaro Djalo whose shot was blocked – but it dropped nicely to Mikel Jaureguizar.The 21-year-old midfielder still had plenty to do but curled a 20-yard shot into the top corner, giving Andre Onana no chance.It was only his third senior goal – maybe he should try luck more often if that’s what he can do.As for Maguire, he has been the unlikely hero of United’s Europa League run from an attacking point of view – maybe it has gone to his head.It gave the outstanding visiting support fresh hope – a final in their own stadium was the dream and it was flickering again.Even so, United should have extinguished that before the break.Dorgu stroked a delightful pass through the middle which Garnacho ran onto and raced clear – before lifting his shot over the keeper but the wrong side of the post.Ruben Amorim’s job at the break was to keep his players calm. He had warned in the build-up that this team had a tendency to ‘lose their minds’.And in the opening stages of the second half it looked like they had done with Athletic in complete control.All that was missing was a killer pass as the home side struggled to get out of their own half.Amorim made a triple sub just after the hour in a bid to change the course of the game – and one of them, Amad Diallo immediatley showed a bit more intent.But there was another scare as Unai Gomez sent a header right across the face of goal and wide of the far post.However it was another of Amorim’s changes who finally settled it as Mount swivelled in the box before curling home.It was their first shot on target of the night – and they hardly deserved to be level – but the Stretford End didn’t care.Minutes later Casemiro looped a header home from a Fernandes free-kick to put the result beyond doubt.Hojlund even got in the knack as he tapped in Diallo had got to the byline and squared for him.Read More on The SunAnd in stoppage time, with Agireezabala stranded, Mount showed great composure to chip in from about 45 yards into an empty net.What a night it turned out to be. 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ATHLETIC BILBAO have suffered further woes ahead of their clash with Manchester United – after player were stuck in a LIFT.The Champions League-chasing Basques were hammered 3-0 at San Mames last week, leaving them with it all to do at Old Trafford in the Europa League.Ernesto Valverde revealed nine of his players got stuck in a lift at the weekendCredit: EPAAthletic Bilbao are looking to turn around a three-goal deficit at Old TraffordCredit: GettyShould they achieve a miracle comeback, they will play the Europa League final against Bodo/Glimt or Tottenham at their own stadium.But boss Ernesto Valverde revealed that things took a farcical turn at the weekend.He said: “How is the team? I saw it very well.”We had a difficult match against Real Sociedad and a mishap.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”Nine players were trapped in the lift, which had a capacity of eight people. “But we got them out before the match and managed to earn a draw.”Bilbao’s preparations for this game at Old Trafford have also not been helped by the absence of three of their star players.Brothers Nico and Inaki Williams have stayed at home along with attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, who has scored 15 LaLiga goals this season.Most read in Europa LeagueCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut Valverde insisted Athletic have not simply given up on the tie, with all three players ruled out due to injury.He commented: “If any one [of them] could have been here, they would be here. ‘Were we not good enough-‘ – Man Utd legend Roy Keane takes cheeky dig at David Beckham over 50th birthday snub”Because this game is the most important of the season right now.”I don’t understand the question. You talk to the doctor and the players, but there’s not much to decide. Those who are injured can’t play.”The Basques will also be without Dani Vivian after his red card in last week’s game. More