Manchester United have set up an all-English Europa League final against Tottenham after beating Athletic Club 7-1 on aggregate.
It will be shades of Moscow for Manchester United over at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao on the 21st of May.
This, of course, being a flashback to the 2008 all-English Champions League final, which saw United beat Chelsea on penalties after John Terry slipped when taking his penalty.
This time, it will be against Tottenham, and it was a former Chelsea youth graduate, Mason Mount, who was United’s key catalyst in securing the final spot. Mount’s goal from the bench to make it 4-1 on aggregate killed Athletic Club’s hope of a comeback, and it spiked his confidence with a second goal in the dying moments.
Another who turned the game around during a cameo was Amad Diallo, who was excellent in assisting Rasmus Hojlund’s goal with a strong dribble down the right side to help guide Ruben Amorim’s side to the final.
It is these two who will and have stolen the headlines from the game, but there is another who deserves praise as an underrated figure in helping United reach the Europa League final.
Leny Yoro shines for Manchester United in 4-1 win vs Athletic Club
While not being put up in the spotlight with Mount and Amad claiming that title, Leny Yoro was United’s most underrated player in the win, with a performance that was wise beyond his years.
In a team full of stars, 19-year-old Yoro was one of United’s best players in the biggest game of the season as he continues to be worth every penny of his £52m fee, which he cost last summer.
Yoro’s performance was excellent in every department, but what was most impressive was the assist he provided to Mount for his first goal, bringing the ball forward so well with dribbling which would be more befitting of a winger and then laying it off perfectly.
However, his performance was better than just this one moment for the assist, as he also dominated defensively and showed his evolution as a defender with plenty of rampaging runs out of the backline, along with passes.
| Statistic | Vs. Athletic Club |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Passing | 38/44 |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Touches | 65 |
| Tackles | 1/2 |
| Blocks | 4 |
| Clearances | 4 |
| Defensive actions | 13 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Duels won | 10/14 |
Yoro looked like this was his 10th European semi-final with such composure, he expertly denied Athletic Club any chance of getting back into the game, with that long shot the only real chance they got.
Leny Yoro reacts to reaching Europa League final for Manchester United
Yoro has been gradually improving all season long, and the future certainly looks incredibly bright for the generational defender. After his best display yet, Yoro spoke to TNT Sports and discussed his thoughts around playing for United and the Europa League final.
“I am really enjoying my football. I thank God every day for putting me in Manchester United and I’m really proud of this, and I want to continue doing this.”
“We know it won’t be easy, it will be a little bit weird because for us it will be like the Premier League, but we need to play the game like it’s a final, and I hope we are going to win.
“It means a lot for us to play in Europe next season, we want to qualify for the Champions League because it is the best competition in the world. So we need to play this competition honestly, we need to win this trophy, and we will give everything to do it.”
Yoro is one player who United need to get Champions League football for as he chose Old Trafford over Real Madrid and deserves the club to be at a certain level, which he is helping contribute to despite his age.
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