Athletic Bilbao vs Manchester United Betting Preview

We’ve arrived at the semi-final stage of the UEFA Europa League and things are really starting to heat up. The race to Bilbao is on and, today, we’re talking about a game that’s particularly relevant in that regard – because it’s taking place in the same city as the final. Athletic Bilbao will play host to Manchester United on Thursday in the first leg of what promises to be a tie full of surprises.

For Athletic Bilbao, the next few games offer an opportunity for them to make history. They have never been able to claim a major European title but when you take one look at their current squad, it isn’t at all surprising to see them in this position. They have momentum, they have confidence, and they look like a team that will mow down anyone in their path right now.

Then, there’s Manchester United. From the perspective of their Premier League campaign, things have gone pretty dreadfully. They’ve only just been mathematically confirmed as safe from relegation, and we’re closer to May than we are April. Given the stature of this once great club, that’s pretty horrendous – but their shining light is they’re still just about hanging around in Europe.

Their aggregate win over Lyon was one of the most incredible European performances we’ve ever seen, and it’ll rightly go down in the history books. Now, though, the Red Devils have an even bigger obstacle to overcome. Whether or not they’re capable of that remains to be seen, but this is quite literally the last thing they have left to play for before we hit the summer.

Bilbao look set to play Champions League football regardless next season, but that isn’t really the point. The point is that this trophy would mean more to this football club and its fans than most. They are the shining light of the Basque Country, and this is quite the journey they find themselves on.

So whether you’re looking for casinos.com or you’re just interested in seeing what we think about this encounter, we’re here to break down what we expect to happen in the first leg.

Bilbao are quite a methodical team, as they proved in the last round against Rangers. They seem to have a more structured approach to the game throughout the core of their squad but when it comes to United, it’s so, so easy to get dragged into an all-out brawl – and a slugfest is precisely the kind of thing we’re expecting to see in this game.

Bilbao and United are going to trade blows and although there’s a whole second leg to come, we don’t think either of them are going to be thinking too much about that. Instead, they’re going to focus their attention on trying to get the win on the night, with the home fans being the ones to carry Bilbao through to victory.

It’ll be a narrow lead to take back to Old Trafford but at the very least, it should set us up for something special in Manchester.

Official prediction: Athletic Bilbao 3-2 Manchester United