Manchester United demolished Athletic Club 4-1 at Old Trafford in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg, securing a trip to Bilbao for the final.
Manchester United went 1-0 down in the first half, but in the second half, Mason Mount scored two excellent goals, with a Casemiro header and Rasmus Højlund goal sandwiched in between, to turn the game around and secure a 7-1 aggregate win.
The win filled United fans with confidence as they look to win their second Europa League title against domestic rivals Tottenham Hotspur later this month. They have now overcome arguably the strongest opposition left in the competition.
Athletic Club sits fourth in La Liga with one of the best defensive records in Europe this season. They have caused the big Spanish sides problems this season by beating Real Madrid.
Something stood out about Manchester United’s scorers on the night. They all shared one thing in common that symbolises the club in many ways.
Difficult moments at United
Casemiro, Mount, and Højlund are all at vastly different points in their career. An elder statesman who has seen and won it all, an early-prime player who has established himself as a top footballer, and a talented youngster still finding his feet.
But all have faced some immense difficulty in their Manchester United careers. Casemiro a physical decline and drop in form last season – at one point arrogantly being told to ‘leave the football before the football leaves you’ by Jamie Carragher.
Mason Mount has been unable to put together a sustained run of games due to fitness troubles, and Rasmus Højlund has blown hot and cold, often struggling with the demands placed on him as a young player.
But all three found themselves on the scoresheet in front of a rocking Old Trafford on Thursday night, showcasing their ability to dig deep and overcome difficulty, a trait that will be important for Ruben Amorim as he looks to rebuild United following their worst season in Premier League history.
This is what Manchester United is about
A fundamental part of Manchester United’s DNA is about overcoming difficulty, and even within this season the fact United have reached the Europa League final despite such struggle highlights this.
A key part of that is having players with the mental strength to overcome difficult moments, and the mentality of United’s players is something very often questioned from all angles.
But those three players have shown Amorim, the fans, and their fellow teammates that they have the ability to dig deep and overcome adversity, and it offers a big boost ahead of the Europa League final.
With the trio proving themselves to be players holding the core essentials of United’s DNA, Amorim must use their resilience to instill belief into his squad.
Ange Postecoglou’s side will make life difficult for Manchester United in the final – United have not yet beaten Spurs under the Australian – and the ability to overcome that difficulty within the game will go a long way to hopefully securing a trophy, and a sign of hope, for Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side.
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