Ruben Amorim has praised three Manchester United players after the 3-0 win away from home against Athletic Club in the Europa League semi-final.
Manchester United secured a commanding 3-0 victory in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club.
The match began with intensity as United found the net within the first four minutes, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside. However, the pressure didn’t let up, and Casemiro eventually opened the scoring. Rasmus Hojlund then won a penalty, leading to Daniel Vivian’s dismissal.
Bruno Fernandes converted the spot-kick and soon afterwards he added a third goal just before halftime, putting United firmly in control.
Despite dominating possession in the second half and creating several chances, United couldn’t extend their lead further. Still, they head back to Old Trafford with a strong three-goal advantage.
Amorim praises three United stars who helped “nervous” duo vs Athletic Club
United have a commanding position in this tie but there were some nervous moments early in the game before they scored, with Victor Lindelof clearing one effort off the line.
It was clear that some players were struggling and Amorim had admitted that Manuel Ugarte and Patrick Dorgu were “nervous” early on in the game.
However, the United boss has praised the experience and leadership of Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Fernandes, who helped get the team through those difficult periods.
“I think it’s a good point,” responded Amorim when asked by TNT Sports about the importance of experienced players in these games.
“You can feel it, especially in the beginning. Even players like Ugarte, with a lot of experience, he was a little bit nervous. Patrick was a little bit nervous.
“It is a semi-final, of course it is not the Champions League but it is a European competition, so these kind of players like Casemiro, Harry and Bruno Fernandes help a lot.”
Maguire, Casemiro and Bruno offer quality and experience
Those three players did not only help with their experience in this game, but also their quality. You could argue that all of them were the best players on the pitch.
In fact, they also can be argued to be the standout performers in the Europa League so far and Casemiro in particular has been exceptional in this competition.
United will certainly need that experience heading into the second-leg, and potentially the final, to try and win the competition.
Amorim has recognised that they will play important roles for the team and all three will probably start in both games – should they return to Bilbao.
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