Ruben Amorim sends firm warning to Man Utd players ahead Europa League semi-final vs Athletic Club, ‘we cannot just assume…’

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Manchester United have a three-goal advantage going into their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club at Old Trafford.

It’s up for debate whether Manchester United could salvage their season by winning the Europa League outright, but Ruben Amorim’s team are one game away from securing a place in the final, despite sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League.

United have not won a game in the league since beating relegated Leicester City 3-0 back in March, but the Red Devils remain unbeaten in European competition. There has been a shift in focus, too, with Amorim deciding to rotate his squad for domestic matches as the priority becomes qualifying for the Champions League.

On Thursday night, United will try to put Sunday’s defeat against Brentford behind them, which will involve not throwing away a three-goal lead after a convincing win over their La Liga opponents in Bilbao last week.

A header from Casemiro was followed up with a Bruno Fernandes brace to silence the home crowd as United took a healthy 3-0 lead into the second leg at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim sends clear message ahead of semi-final decider

After a season full of inconsistent results on the pitch, albeit not in Europe, United fans fear not knowing which version of their team will show up against Athletic Club on Thursday night.

While it should be a straightforward process in front of the Old Trafford faithful, Amorim has issued a message to fans ahead of the game.

Amorim has urged everyone to remember that we are only halfway through the tie, with Athletic Club being a team that shouldn’t be underestimated.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford on European nights has been second to none, with fans given the task of making it a cauldron of noise ahead of kick-off.

Amorim has written his pre-match notes ahead of the game, calling for everyone to pull together against Ernesto Valverde’s side, as published in the latest United Review.

“Tonight, we have a job to finish,” Amorim said.

“Of course, I was happy with the result, and many aspects of our performance, in Bilbao a week ago – but we must all remember that we are only halfway through this tie.

“As we welcome Ernesto Valverde and Athletic Club to Old Trafford, there is still a lot of hard work for us to do if we are to reach the UEFA Europa League final.

“Athletic Club are a very good team, and they caused us problems in the opening stages in San Mames, so we cannot just assume the game will go the same way it did last Thursday. We will need total focus and effort to keep control of the game, and the tie.

“It is a boost to be playing the second leg at home because we know what a special place Old Trafford can be on European nights, as we saw in the quarter-final against Lyon last month, when the fans helped us get over the line.

“The support we have received throughout such a difficult season has been incredible and we want to reward our fans by winning the UEFA Europa League.

“But, before we even think about that, we have to reach the final, and we cannot take anything for granted until that task is complete.

“So, let’s all pull together tonight for one last push to secure our place back in Bilbao.”

Bruno Fernandes tops Europa League goal charts

There is no denying that Bruno Fernandes has been United’s most influential player since signing for the club from Sporting CP in 2021.

That remains the case this season, despite United’s abysmal form in the Premier League.

The Portugal international is one of three players with seven goals to his name in the Europa League, which means he is a contender to finish the competition as top scorer.

Rasmus Hojlund is ranked the 10^th top scorer in the competition with five goals.