Five things we learned from Man United’s victory over Athletic Bilbao

Manchester United defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Europa League semi-final first leg at San Mames on Thursday evening.

Read on as we look at five things we learned from the game.

Midfield pair continue to impress

Midfield duo Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte were brilliant, continuing their impressive form in the competition.

They combined for the first goal, giving United momentum in the clash.

Casemiro has now contributed three goal contributions in his last two games, while Ugarte has also recorded the same tally in his last three appearances.

Bruno Fernandes stood out again

The Portuguese was magnificent, chipping in with two goals to put United in a good position ahead of the second leg.

He is the first player to record over 31 goals in the competition’s knockout stage and the first United player to score seven goals in a single edition of the competition.

Harry Maguire was solid

Athletic fans mocked the English centre-back ahead of the game, and he responded with a solid performance.

He beat his marker to set up Ugarte, who assisted the first goal. He was also solid defensively before his substitution in the 65th minute.

United learned from the Lyon clash

Man United failed to control the game in the quarter-final second leg clash with Lyon, losing a two-goal lead in the encounter.

They did not let that happen against Athletic, ensuring that they did not give any hope of a comeback to the Spanish side.

Amad Diallo looked sharp on his return

Despite not playing since February, Diallo had a bright cameo. He flicked the ball past his marker in a dazzling move late in the game to show his readiness to make an impact for United.

His return could boost United’s chances of winning the competition.

Stats from Squawka.

Article written by Henry Thornton .