Fifteenth in the Premier League, out of both cups, no rhythm, no system that sticks, and yet here they are, ninety minutes away from a European final. It’s not redemption yet. But it’s the only possible version left.
That 3–0 win in Bilbao felt surreal. Not just because of the scoreline, which might have flattered United, but because of how clinical they were when it counted. Casemiro looked like the man who once dominated Champions League midfields at Madrid. Bruno Fernandes punished gaps in the line, and Dani Vivian’s red card made all of this a little easier. It wasn’t a masterclass, but it was efficient. Fortunately for United, they held it together until the end.
They’ll need more of that. Because European nights have a way of rewriting narratives, both good and bad. If they go through, it’s a shot at the final in Bilbao and a return to the Champions League. If they blow it, there’s nothing left to play for. The season is a write-off.
Athletic Club arrive in Manchester facing a mountain. A three-goal deficit, away from home, against a team with something to protect. But this is a club that doesn’t do fear. The model they run on is unlike anything else in modern football. A squad made up only of Basque players. No foreign imports. No stars-for-hire. Just community, culture, and consistency.
You’d think it wouldn’t work in 2025. But they’re fourth in LaLiga above sides with four times the spending power, and knocked out Roma in the round of 16. They’ve done it all while sticking to their core values, never compromising, never trying to copy the systems around them. It’s why this tie means so much. Not just the possibility of a final, but the fact that the final is at San Mamés. It would be historic. And it would happen on their own grass.
If Athletic score early, the atmosphere in Old Trafford could change.
But Dani Vivian’s absence through suspension is a problem. He’s an organiser at the back, and without him, they’ll have to reshuffle and take more risks going forward. That opens space, which suits United.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ruben Amorim plays this cagey. Sit in, break when the space is there, and lean on Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo to catch Athletic overcommitting. This is one of those nights where being reactive might be smarter than being brave. Especially when you have nothing to prove, only something to protect.
But the question United fans will be asking is simple: can we trust this team to manage it?
Because United’s issues this season haven’t just been structural, they’ve been psychological. They’ve lost control of games out of nowhere. They’ve let pressure cave them in when holding leads. The margin for error might be three goals, but that won’t mean anything if they let doubt creep in. One goal conceded, one nervous mistake, and the narrative can turn sharply. And this isn’t a fanbase that does patience right now.
Athletic will come with nothing to lose. And that’s often when teams are most dangerous. They know this competition has delivered wild turnarounds before. Nights when logic breaks. And when your best-case scenario is a final in front of your own people, you find levels of fight you didn’t know you had.
United are still trying to remember what kind of club they are. Big enough to demand European nights, yet uncertain enough to stumble through weekends. Every result feels like it’s being held together by threads. The pressure is external and internal, commercial expectations, player discontent, and a fanbase that’s out of patience.
Athletic, on the other hand, are exactly what they say they are. One of the most grounded clubs in world football. A youth system that feeds the first team. Players who know what it means to wear the badge. And a collective purpose that isn’t built around fame, but around tradition. This isn’t just another semi-final for them. It’s a once-in-a-generation shot at something bigger.
Thursday night will be heavy with tension. The kind of match where the football comes second to the emotion. United have the lead. Athletic have the belief. And that belief, if it finds momentum, could become something dangerous. Not because they’re better. But because they know what it would mean to win.
United need to finish the job. Early, ruthlessly, and without panic. If they do, it’s a chance to rewrite a season that’s barely held together. If they don’t, they’ll wake up Friday facing a very different story, one of collapse, waste, and regret. And I’m not sure the fans could take another crushing blow right now.
(Images from IMAGO)
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