Manchester United are one step away from the Europa League Final after a 3-0 first leg win.
If Manchester United can give up a 3-0 lead to Coventry City, then the tie against Athletic Club is not yet done.
Yet even so, taking a 3-0 advantage into the home leg at Old Trafford is beyond the expectations we had coming into this Europa League semi-final.
A goal from Casemiro and two from Bruno Fernandes sealed United’s advantage, and left some reflecting that it probably should have been more.
Athletic Club boss on red card
The tie became easier for Manchester United with the award of a penalty for the second goal, with a red card shown to Daniel Vivian.
He was judged to have pulled back Rasmus Hojlund to deny him a clear goalscoring opportunity, after a VAR review.
Bruno Fernandes scored the penalty to double Manchester United’s advantage, before adding another goal soon after.
Athletic Club boss Ernesto Valverde was not happy with the decision, although rather than getting angry, he tried to explain why the decision was harsh.
He argued a handball should have been given against Alejandro Garnacho in the build-up to the chance.
And then he claimed that after a penalty award, Athletic had already been punished enough.
Valverde told AS: “We protested a previous foul, which I think he got, the play continued and I thought the penalty was clearer. It was too much of a punishment, not only for the 0-2, but for playing without Vivian with ten men, and we felt it.”
The Athletic Club manager did not dispute that Manchester United deserved to win the game, pointing to his team’s inability to score.
He said: “When they beat you 0-3, it means they were on target, and we weren’t, given the chances we had.
“Teams like United are unforgiving; they’re very confident in the final stretch. We have to learn from these kinds of things.”
Valverde determined for second leg
With Athletic Club 3-0 down heading into the second leg at Old Trafford, they will head into the game next week as heavy underdogs.
Valverde is going to make sure his team do not give up, despite potentially coming out on the wrong side of an aggregate hammering.
He said: “It’s clear we’re taking a very bad result, but we have to play it out.
“We’re not going to give up anything knowing we’re facing a very bad result.”
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