Manchester United have found scoring in Europe far easier than in the Premier League this season, and this continued on Thursday night against Athletic Club.
As bad as things have been domestically for Manchester United this season, the Europa League campaign has been a consistent reason to smile. Thursday night saw United thrash Athletic Club 3-0 at San Mames to take a massive step towards a spot in the final.
This was the 13th game of the European campaign, and United remain unbeaten, the only team in Europe to do so across any of the competitions.
This result was the most impressive of all, against the side that many had feared coming up against, but in the end, Ruben Amorim’s side looked comfortable for the entire game, even before Bilbao were down to 10 men.
In the impressive win, there were several United players at the top of their games, and arguably, there was no better player on the pitch than Bruno Fernandes, who scored twice in another display that etches his name into the club icon books.
The other goal came courtesy of Casemiro, who was absolutely brilliant for United. But there was another player who shone bright despite not getting all the rave reviews.
Manuel Ugarte is in tremendous form for Manchester United
While Casemiro and Harry Maguire have been highlighted after the game, Manuel Ugarte had a similar impact on the game, as he was impressive in midfield.
Ugarte showcased his lesser-known quality, which is creativity, which saw him grab two assists for Casemiro and then Fernandes’ second goal.
Despite mainly being a midfield destroyer, Ugarte has found himself in recent weeks having an impact further up the pitch for Amorim’s side, which is a new trait in his career.
Over the past six games in all competitions, Ugarte has racked up four assists and a goal, which is remarkable for a defensive midfielder, as shown by SofaScore below.
This has been an excellent addition to Ugarte’s talents in midfield for United, as he also continues to improve in his passing and defensive output.
Ugarte becoming an offensive outlet for Amorim is unexpected, but is timely considering the latest came in the biggest game of the season to date for United.
How Manuel Ugarte performed against Athletic Club
Ugarte and Casemiro were a big reason behind United practically running over Bilbao on Thursday, with a first half straight from Amorim’s dreams. The midfield pairing was all action, proving too much for Bilbao to handle.
Casemiro boasted some incredible statistics, but Ugarte was also very impressive, having only played 65 minutes.
- 65 minutes
- 2 assists
- 37/44 passes
- 2 chances created
- 1 big chance missed
- 62 touches
- 2/2 dribbles
- 2/2 tackles
- 4 defensive actions
- 5 recoveries
- 6 duels won
It was a strong performance by Ugarte, and it came in United’s most important game to date this season, which speaks volumes about the player’s mentality to perform when the lights are brightest.
If Ugarte can perform like this in three weeks on United’s likely return to Bilbao, it could be a silverware-laden night for the Red Devils.
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