Manchester United are through to the Europa League final after a scintillating second-half performance against Athletic Club.
A nervous air filled Old Trafford when Athletic Club cut into Manchester United’s three-goal lead through Mikel Jauregizar’s opener.
Ruben Amorim faced a difficult half-time team talk to refocus his players after an underwhelming first half, and whatever he told his players – it seemed to work.
In the end, United beat Athletic Club 4-1 in the second leg with a magnificent second-half performance inspired by Amorim’s changes from the bench.
A 7-1 aggregate win over the Spanish side means that Amorim can now start planning for the 2025 Europa League final, and one player in particular played his way into the starting lineup in Bilbao.
Man United star was completely flawless vs Athletic Club
Mason Mount will steal the headlines after coming off the bench and scoring two incredible goals in front of the Stretford End.
The 26-year-old enjoyed his best performance so far in a United shirt and he is fully deserving of praise, but fellow substitute Amad Diallo was statistically flawless after replacing Alejandro Garnacho.
Stats provided by SofaScore prove that Amad didn’t put a foot wrong in his 27-minute cameo.
Amad was a constant threat on the right and he added to his assist tally by setting up Rasmus Hojlund for an easy finish.
In possession, Amad took 21 touches of the ball and completed 100% of his dribbles. There can be no question marks about his end product after he lifted his head to brilliantly find Hojlund in space.
Defensively, the 22-year-old also put in a shift, winning all three of the duels he contested – two ground duels and one aerial.
Amad Diallo gives Ruben Amorim a Europa League final headache
After surviving a potential hiccup against Athletic Club, United can finally start looking forward to the Europa League final later this month.
United will face Premier League rivals Tottenham in Bilbao, and the entire season hinges on the Red Devils bringing the trophy back to Old Trafford.
It is Amorim’s first European final as manager, and he has some difficult decisions to make when it comes to his starting lineup.
Mount’s incredible performance against Athletic Club could help him challenge for a spot, while Alejandro Garnacho will also expect to be involved from the start.
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Bruno Fernandes will no doubt start, but if he is played in an advanced role then it means Amad could be competing with both Mount and Garnacho for the final spot in the front three.
There are two Premier League games remaining before the final in Spain, and Amad’s goal will be to convince Amorim he should start.
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