Ruben Amorim names star who gave Man United a ‘spark’ in 4-1 Athletic Club win

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Manchester United survived an early scare to record an emphatic victory over Athletic Club in the Europa League.

Mason Mount was Manchester United’s hero against Athletic Club, coming off the bench to score twice in a 4-1 win at Old Trafford.

All four of United’s goals came after the 70-minute mark, with Athletic Club leading by a goal for large parts of the game.

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But Ruben Amorim’s changes in the second half made the difference with Amad Diallo starring as a substitute after replacing Alejandro Garnacho.

Ruben Amorim piles praise on Amad Diallo display vs Athletic Club

United were flat for large parts of the match, and Athletic Club cutting the lead down to two goals created a nervy atmosphere around Old Trafford.

However, the second-half changes injected some much-needed energy into United’s play, with Amad Diallo and Mount impressing in particular.

After the full-time whistle, Amorim singled out Amad for his impact off the bench.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Amorim said: “First of all, it’s the energy. I feel like some players like Nous [Mazraoui], he has no energy in this moment.

“Then, Amad gave us that spark that you need to change games. That helped us a lot because we can change with Garna [Garnacho].

“Sometimes we have left Garna there because he is the only one who can stretch games.”

Amad Diallo earned starting spot in Europa League final

After dominating Athletic Club over two legs, United can finally look forward to the Europa League final against Tottenham on May 21st.

Amad was incredible against Brentford in the Premier League on the weekend, and he backed it up with another superb showing on Thursday evening.

Now, Amorim has a difficult decision to make in the upcoming final when it comes to the starting lineup in Bilbao.

READ MORE: Man Utd fans have lot to say about Amad Diallo after performance vs Athletic Club, ‘no-one comes close’ claim is perfect

Bruno Fernandes, Amad, Mount and Garnacho will all be competing for the two No.10 spots behind Rasmus Hojlund as the central striker.

Amad’s match stats in the 4-1 win prove he is one of United’s most impactful players at the minute, and he will have a key role to play in the final whether that is as a starter or as an impact substitute.