Europa League: Man United vs Athletic Club - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

Athletic Club aim to pull off one of Europe’s most dramatic comebacks as they travel to Manchester United on Friday morning for the final leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. 

Man United have been far from their best lately, but they still managed to demolish the La Liga side 3-0 in the first leg. NZ betting sites are more or less convinced that the Red Devils have already made it to the final, but can Athletic prove them wrong? Read on for our football betting tips on this match.

Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes has had an excellent season, even though United have struggled for the last part of the season. The Portuguese star has racked up 34 goal contributions this season — second only to Mohamed Salah’s 56 among Premier League players.

He scored twice at San Mames as United cruised to a 3-0 victory against Athletic last week. Casemiro delivered one of his best performances in a United shirt in the midfield, while Harry Maguire also continued his redemption arc with another solid performance. 

Team News: Ruben Amorim rotated heavily for the weekend clash at Brentford, with the first-leg lineup expected to return at Old Trafford as United shift their focus firmly to Europe.

Predicted Lineup: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Lindelof; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.

Athletic Club

United did a remarkable job at keeping the Williams brothers quiet in the first leg. So, the threat from the wing was basically neutralised, but it was arguably the absence of Oihan Sancet that hurt them most in the return fixture.

The midfielder has scored 17 goals for the Lions. Ernesto Valverde might have to make do without Sancet again, who suffers a hamstring issue. Odds on football betting sites, therefore, are significantly long for an Athletic ‘remontada’.

Team News: Aitor Paredes is expected to step into the starting XI in place of Daniel Vivian, who was sent off for denying Rasmus Hojlund a clear scoring chance.

Predicted Lineup: Agirrezabala; Gorosabel, Paredes, Alvarez, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; I. Williams, Berenguer, N. Williams; Guruzeta.

• Manchester United and Athletic Club have played five competitive matches so far.
• There have been no draws between these teams yet. Athletic have won three games, while United have won twice.
• Both teams have scored in three of the five matches between these two sides.
• United are yet to defeat Bilbao at Old Trafford. 

Manchester United enter the second leg of this semi-final in a strong position. With the match at Old Trafford and Athletic missing a key player, the stars appear aligned for United to book their place in the final.

But if football betting has taught us anything over the years, it’s to never say never. Athletic have had a strong campaign and remain firmly in the hunt for a Champions League spot in La Liga. 

United, meanwhile, sit 15th in the Premier League, making Europa League glory their only route to European football next season. Athletic have extra motivation with the final set to be played at their home ground. That said, the 3-0 deficit could be too big of a mountain to climb for them. 

Athletic might be able to win this game, but we don’t see them overturning United’s aggregate lead. 

Athletic Club to Win 2-1 - $12

Looking for a value bet in Manchester United vs Athletic Club? Expect Athletic to come out firing — it's all or nothing, and with their attacking quality, they could find the net more than once.

That said, we also expect United to get on the scoresheet. A 2-1 win for Athletic looks likely, and Bet365’s $12 return on that scoreline offers solid value.