Winning against Tottenham without Son Heung-min?
Manchester United (hereafter referred to as Man U) defeated the home team Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the first leg of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League semifinals held in Bilbao, Spain, on the 2nd. Man U will advance to the final if they draw in the second leg at home on the 9th.
Even though Man U is 14th in the Premier League, they enjoyed a long-awaited convincing victory. Starting with Casemiro's opener in the 30th minute, Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty kick in the 37th minute. Fernandes added a second goal in the 45th minute.
Having led 3-0 at halftime, Man U secured the victory early. Fernandes scored two goals. Ugarte recorded multiple assists.
Man U is likely to face Tottenham in the final. Tottenham won the away first leg against Bodo 3-1. Although Son Heung-min missed the match due to a foot injury, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke each scored a goal.
The likelihood of a final match between Man U and Tottenham has greatly increased. Both clubs are struggling for pride, currently ranked 14th and 16th in the Premier League. There are strong rumors about the dismissal of the coaches. They are all in on winning the UEFA Europa League to turn the tide.
Harry Maguire noted, "It started off very well. We scored three goals and won without conceding, so I am happy. Everyone is expecting us to win, so there was a lot of pressure. But we will overcome it. If we prepare well, we can win. Just one more step and it's the final. Of course, it’s not over yet," showing excitement as if they had already won.
Son Heung-min also did not participate in the first leg of the semifinals. Due to the large victory in the first leg, there is no need for Son Heung-min to push himself to play in the second leg. The UEFA Europa League final is on the 22nd, and Son Heung-min is expected to return by then.
[OSEN]