23h09 CEST
08/05/2025
Mason Mount scored twice, and Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund were also on target, as Manchester United came from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 and punch their ticket to the Europa League final.
Having won 3-0 at San Mames in the first leg last week, the Red Devils were trailing at the break to Mikel Jauregizar's fantastic long-range effort at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Substitute Mount calmed a cagey performance with a wonderful finish with a little under 20 minutes remaining, though, before Casemiro had the hosts ahead.
Hojlund's close-range effort preceded Mount putting the icing on the cake to complete a 7-1 aggregate triumph, and Ruben Amorim's men can now look forward to the final at San Mames against Premier League rivals Tottenham on May 21.
Alex Berenguer had twice bent shots wide by the time Athletic took the lead after a tentative opening from the hosts.
Alvaro Djalo saw his shot blocked after a woeful misplaced pass from Harry Maguire, but Jauregizar picked up the loose ball and curled a sumptuous effort into the top-right corner from 25 yards, 31 minutes in.
Alejandro Garnacho wastefully clipped wide after being brilliantly slipped in by Patrick Dorgu shortly before the break, while Unai Nunez guided a header just wide midway through a second half in which United were toiling.
But Mount ensured the home fans found their voices again with a beautifully caressed finish into the bottom-right corner on the turn to leave Athletic a mountain too high to climb.
And when Casemiro - goalscorer in the first leg - shouldered Bruno Fernandes' free-kick home, it was job done for United.
They then added further gloss late on, when Amad Diallo's cut-back from the byline could not be missed by Hojlund two yards out, and Mount lobbed in from long range with Julen Agirrezabala well off his line deep into injury time.
ANOTHER ONE pic.twitter.com/hNeCGacK8o
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 8, 2025
Data Debrief: United love a super sub as final berth booked
It was a wonderful moment for Mount, whose injury issues have been well-documented, and his goal represented United's first shot on target of the match.
Indeed, their failure to have a shot on target in the first half was the first time they had done so in Europe since March 2023 against Real Betis in the Europa League.
The Red Devils have scored seven goals via substitutes in this season's Europa League, a tally bettered only by AZ's eight, while Hojlund scored his sixth goal of the competition but his first since netting against Viktoria Plzen on December 12.
Athletic put up a valiant effort and had United briefly rocked with Jauregizar scoring his first Europa League goal on his 11th appearance.
Their task was not helped by the absence of Oihan Sancet (two), Inaki Williams (five) and Nico Williams (five), who, before kick-off, had contributed 57% of Athletic's Europa League goals (12/21).