Manchester United are just 90 minutes from lifting the Europa League for a second time after reaching the final with a victory against Athletic Club.
It has been a thrilling cup run in Europe from Manchester United this season, distracting attention away from a horrendous league campaign.
The knockout stages have taken Ruben Amorim’s side to Spain to face Real Sociedad, France to take on Lyon, and then Spain again for the clash with Athletic Club, which ended 7-1 on aggregate.
Now, it is an all-English final that awaits United on the return to Bilbao, with Tottenham Hotspur the Europa League final opposition for the Red Devils at the San Mames.
The Europa League final is all that matters right now for United, with the summer budget, next season’s European campaign, and silverware all depending on the 21st of May.
So ahead of the big game, United in Focus has asked SofaScore who United’s top five performers have been through the Europa League campaign, with a minimum of four games played.
So here are the top five ranked from fifth to first…
5. Amad Diallo – 7.21
Coming in at number five is Amad with an average match rating of 7.21 in the competition this season, with 10 games played, two goals and one assist.
Amad scored a brace in the league phase against PAOK under Ruud van Nistelrooy, which are his only goals in the competition, but he has been vital in every game he’s featured in.
His return in recent weeks has been key, and Amad assisted Hojlund’s goal in the semi-final to announce himself as a player who is back and ready to star for United in the final.
4. Lisandro Martinez – 7.21
Fourth in the top performers list is Martinez, who was key during the league phase, playing every single game to rack up an average score of 7.21 – the same as Amad.
The best moment of the campaign for the Argentine came against Rangers when Martinez assisted the game winner with a brilliant long pass.
Aside from his ball-playing ability, Martinez was unstoppable in many games for United early in the competition, which was enough to rank him on this list in fourth.
Unfortunately, Martinez’s season was ended in February, and he will miss the final, but will surely be in Bilbao supporting his teammates.
- READ MORE: Who is Lisandro Martinez? Step inside the life of Manchester United’s tenacious Argentine
3. Harry Maguire – 7.39
It’s been an excellent season for Maguire, who ranks as United’s third-best player in the Europa League this season, having played seven times in the competition and averaging a 7.39 match rating.
Maguire has scored two goals and provided one assist in the tournament, with his performance in the 5-4 Old Trafford win over Lyon his best.
Maguire created the equaliser and then scored the winner in added time of extra time, keeping United’s season alive at the time, so he deserves his high ranking.
2. Casemiro – 7.42
In at number two, Casemiro’s importance for United is quantified as he has an average match rating of 7.42 through the 12 games he’s played.
Casemiro has racked up two goals and three assists in the competition, with all coming in the past three games – three assists in second leg vs Lyon, one goal away to Bilbao and one goal at home.
The Brazilian has been rolling back the years in this competition, with Amorim managing Casemiro’s minutes to turn him into the dominating midfielder he used to be.
1. Bruno Fernandes – 8.07
As seen in the graphic above, the top spot for United’s Europa League campaign is claimed by Fernandes, who has averaged a rating of 8.07 in the competition this season through 13 games.
Fernandes has scored seven and assisted five in the Europa League alone, including some trademark performances. This included Fernandes scoring a hat-trick against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, which put him into the history books.
Meanwhile, Fernandes’ brace against Athletic Bilbao away from home also broke records in the competition. He has been absolutely key, and will likely have a big role to play again if Amorim’s side is to win the final.
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