Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The first Europa League semi-final clash is set for Thursday at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, where local side Athletic will host Manchester United. I suggest placing a bet on the outcome of this encounter with a favorable odds.
Match preview
Athletic Bilbao has triumphantly burst into the European campaign after a six-year hiatus. The Basques last graced the international stage in 2018, and now they are making a loud comeback with an immediate entry into the Europa League semi-finals, a feat not achieved since the memorable 2011/12 season. Ernesto Valverde's men confidently overcame two serious playoff hurdles: first, they knocked out Roma with a home comeback victory (1-2 in Rome, 3-1 at San Mamés), and then they switched to a mode of defensive reliability and composure in the duel with Rangers – 0-0 away and a clean 2-0 at home.
In the current Europa League campaign, Athletic is showcasing truly mature football: over 12 tournament matches, the team has suffered only two defeats, celebrating victory eight times and sharing points with opponents twice. This balance speaks for itself – the Basques are not just back; they are seriously aiming for the trophy. Over the weekend, Athletic hosted Las Palmas at home and secured a 1-0 victory. The Basques continue to occupy fourth place in the league table, five points ahead of Villarreal.
In the last eight years, Manchester United has become a regular fixture in the late stages of the Europa League — this is their fourth semi-final appearance in this period. Like their semi-final opponents, the Basques from Bilbao, the Red Devils started from the round of 16, where they confidently dealt with Real Sociedad (1-1 away and a resounding 4-1 at home). However, the quarter-final against Lyon was far more dramatic: two hard-fought 2-2 draws and true madness in extra time, where the English side snatched a 3-2 victory.
This match made history in European competitions — for the first time, five goals were scored in extra time, with the Mancunians managing to strike twice after the 120th minute. In the current season, Erik ten Hag's charges are demonstrating impressive stability — United remains the only team among all participants to have navigated the Champions League group stage and reached the Europa League semi-finals without a single defeat in regular time. They have already secured six wins and six draws, making the English giants an extremely tough opponent in knockout tournaments.
Probable lineups
- Athletic Bilbao: Julen Agirrezabala – Oscar De Marcos, Lekue, Yeray Alvarez, Daniel Vivian – Mikel Haurregui, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Oihan Sancet – Alex Berenguer, Nico Williams, Maroan Sannadi
- Manchester United: Andre Onana – Harry Maguire, Leni Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui – Diogo Dalot, Patrick Dorgu, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes – Manuel Ugarte, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund
Match facts and head-to-head
- The teams played in the Europa League playoffs in 2012, when Athletic defeated their opponent twice
- In all three matches between these teams, both teams scored
- The "Over 2.5 goals" betting option was successful in two out of three matches
Prediction
Bookmakers favor Athletic in this match, offering odds around 2.05 for a home win. We believe that the Basques, who play very well on home turf, will win this match. Our bet is on "Athletic to win."
