Getting their Europa League semi-final adventure underway on Thursday night, Manchester United will travel to San Mames when they meet Athletic Bilbao.
While Ruben Amorim’s men might have mounted a famous last-gasp European comeback a fortnight ago as they edged past Lyon thanks to a sensational night at Old Trafford, United have drastically failed to find any kind of stability.
Enjoying what has been quite the run at San Mames this season and firing on all cylinders, Athletic Bilbao will certainly be smelling the chance to collect a heavyweight first-leg advantage on Thursday.
Ahead of what could be a nail-biting night of Europa League action, we have taken a look at some of the most appealing Athletic Bilbao vs Manchester United Bet Builder Tips.
A golden opportunity for the Lions
Sat firmly in the driving seat to book a famous Champions League ticket, Athletic Bilbao have cemented their spot as one of Spain’s real surprise packages this season.
Booking their Europa League final four spot against Rangers on April 17th as they claimed a 2-0 victory against Rangers, Ernesto Valverde’s side find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high.
Despite suffering last-gasp heartbreak away at Spanish icons Real Madrid on April 20th, Thursday’s hosts claimed an immediate response last time out.
Collecting a 1-0 win against Las Palmas, Bilbao have won three of their previous four appearances across all competitions and have also suffered just a sole defeat from any of their last 10 consecutive outings.
Likewise, along with winning their last three straight matchups at San Mames by an aggregate score of 6-1, it should also be noted that Valverde’s camp have not suffered a single defeat in the Basque Country since the middle of January.
Bet Builder Tip: Athletic Bilbao win @ 6/5 with 1xBet
Pressure remains on Amorim’s shoulders
While Manchester United might have booked their Europa League semi-final spot a fortnight ago following that iconic comeback against Lyon at Old Trafford, the pressure still firmly remains on Amorim’s shoulders.
Despite snatching a last-gasp 1-1 stalemate away at Bournemouth last weekend, United have broken a string of unwanted records this season and sit firmly in the bottom-half of the Premier League table.
With fans around the red half of Manchester making their frustrations abundantly clear, there are plenty of sections around old Trafford who are drastically losing faith with the ex-Sporting Lisbon boss.
Failing to win any of their previous seven consecutive appearances across all competitions within 90 minutes, United have also gained a reputation for their glaring issues on the road.
In fact, Amorim’s downbeat squad have recorded just a sole win away from Old Trafford since the end of January.
Bet Builder Tip: Noussair Mazraoui over 0.5 fouls @ 4/9 with BetUS
Williams to spearhead Bilbao’s charge
Spearheading Spain’s charge to a history-making fourth European crown last summer, Nico Williams has further cemented his spot as one of world football’s hottest young commodities.
While the 22-year-old might have eventually stayed put at San Mames last year following serious Premier League interest, Williams is expected to be complete a blockbuster European switch this summer.
Watching the red-hit Oihan Sancet limping off against Las Palmas last week and with Bilbao already confirming their academy graduate will miss Thursday’s showdown, Williams will have a leading role to play.
Finding the net in back-to-back appearances against Rayo Vallecano and Rangers earlier in the month, the Spanish international has niched 10 goals for club and country so far this calendar year.
Meeting a Manchester United side that have recorded just a sole clean sheet from their last eight matchups away from Old Trafford, Williams will be confident of guiding Bilbao to a first-leg advantage.
Bet Builder Tip: Nico Williams over 0.5 shots on target @ 4/6 with Dachbet
Athletic Bilbao vs Manchester United Bet Builder Tips
- Athletic Bilbao win
- Noussair Mazraoui over 0.5 fouls
- Nico Williams over 0.5 shots on target
ODDS – 4/1 with Vegas Land
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