“No one expected this,” said Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim after the 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao.
The BBC asked the question about this night when everything finally worked out for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United? – It has amazed many that Amorim, who had extreme success with Sporting before he was brought to Old Trafford in November, has done so badly. Especially in the Premier League, it has been bumpy where the team has only six wins in 23 games.
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But the European Cup seems to be both his and United’s salvation this season. Thursday’s 3-0 win away to Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals ensured they have a foot in the final.
Although the Spanish hosts played much of the game with ten men, this was still an impressive performance against a team with the best defensive record in La Liga.
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“This was the best I’ve seen Manchester United play under Ruben Amorim,” former goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“They were excellent – yes, they played against ten men, but they still had to do the job.
Former United player Robbie Savage added on TNT Sports:
“People will look at the result and say Bilbao had ten men, but this was a fantastic performance. They concede almost no goals, have one of Europe’s best defences – so to come here and score three goals is unbelievable.
Amorim’s Alternating Success
United have had many weak performances under Amorim, but also some notable results:
- 2-1 win away to Manchester City in December
- 2-2 against Liverpool
- FA Cup win over Arsenal in January
- 4-1 against Real Sociedad in the Europa League
But for Amorim, this was the most impressive result so far:
“I think this is the best, because no one expected this.
The senior players lined up
Few had predicted such a victory at San Mamés – the same stadium that will host the Europa League final on May 21.
At first, it didn’t look very promising:
- Manuel Ugarte lost the ball several times in the first 15 minutes
- The defence was static and almost conceded goals to Inaki Williams
- Patrick Dorgu was exploited on the left wing
But the experienced players took responsibility:
- Casemiro delivered a strong defensive and creative effort
- Harry Maguire (who scored the winning goal against Lyon) set up the opening goal
- Bruno Fernandes kept his cool and scored two goals
Amorim praised the experienced players for reassuring the team:
“Players like Ugarte and Dorgu were nervous at first, but Casemiro, Maguire and Fernandes helped a lot.
Ready for final?
This was the first time in three years that United scored three goals in the first half in an important European match. With Spurs’ 3-1 win against Bodø/Glimt in the other semi-final, it looks like we could have an English final duel.
Bruno Fernandes said:
“We want our fans to go to Bilbao twice.
Amorim was more cautious:
“We have an advantage, but anything can happen in one game.
