How to watch and follow United v Athletic Club
Manchester United are set to take on Athletic Club in Dublin on Sunday, marking our final pre-season encounter before the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
It will be the third time the Reds have played at the 51,700-capacity arena, with a 7-1 win over a League of Ireland XI in the 2010 opening game, followed by a 2-1 victory over Italian side Sampdoria, seven years later.
We last faced the Bilbao side during the 2012 edition of the Europa League, as we were beaten 5-3 on aggregate, in a two-legged round-of-16 affair.
With the game now just days away, here are all the details you need...
HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW
United's friendly with the Basque outfit will be shown live on MUTV, with exclusive coverage delivered across multiple platforms.
Erik ten Hag is expected to split his squad evenly given our penultimate game with Lens is set to take place at Old Trafford a day prior.
As always, we will bring you all the latest from Dublin via ManUtd.com and the Official App, with interviews, reaction and post-match analysis all available to view.
The full match replay and all the highlights will also be available on demand via our platforms.
Unfortunately, tickets are no longer available for the fixture, with high demand resulting in a rapid sell out.
Fixture news: United to play in Dublin
ArticleThe Reds will face La Liga side Athletic Bilbao at the Aviva Stadium in August.
WHAT'S THE TEAM NEWS?
Fans in Ireland will be hopeful of catching a glimpse of new signings Andre Onana and Mason Mount. At this stage, we do not know Ten Hag's plans about the composition of the teams across the two fixtures but it is likely a pair of strong XIs will be selected.
There’s is also a chance that several young Reds could be involved at some point, attempting to stake their own individual claim for a breakthrough in 2023/24.
The game will also mark a reunion with former United midfielder Ander Herrera, with the 33-year-old now enjoying a second spell at the team from La Liga.
Athletic Club traditionally operate a strict transfer policy meaning they can only sign players who were born in the Basque Country or who honed their football skills at a Basque club.
Ernesto Valverde's side have also brought in Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Javier Marton this summer, with both, no doubt, bidding to be involved against United, but Yeray Alvarez and Dani Garcia have picked up injuries.
Ander Herrera – “I have United in my heart”
podcastUTD Podcast co-hosts Helen Evans and Sam Homewood travelled to Bilbao, Spain, to catch up with Ander Herrera, whose honesty and passion led to one of our best-ever episodes. The former Reds midfielder speaks fondly about his childhood as the son of a professional footballer and sporting director, before recounting his first spell as an Athletic Club player – which included their famous Europa League victories over Sir Alex Ferguson’s United in 2011/12. Herrera describes his 2014 transfer to Old Trafford in amazing detail and dissects his five popular seasons as a Red, offering amazing observations of former managers Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer along the way. Then comes the touching moment he breaks down in tears, when discussing his difficult decision to leave the club for Paris Saint-Germain in 2019. After three seasons in France, Ander is back in the Basque country with his beloved Athletic Club and their magnificent San Mames Stadium is the backdrop for our unmissable conversation. Remember, as well as listening, you can watch it in full by tapping the camera button on your podcast screen. Enjoy!
United and Athletic Club have faced off four times in history, with our August opponents have emerged victorious on three occasions, dating back to 1957.
The Reds won 6-5 on aggregate after two legs in the quarter-final stage, first losing 5-3 in Spain, before a superb 3-0 victory ensured our progression thanks to goals from Johnny Berry, Tommy Taylor and Dennis Viollet.
Our only other two head-to-heads came in the 2012 Europa League, as Herrera's side were in inspired form to eliminate the Reds.
Winning 3-2 at Old Trafford before following up with a 2-1 win in Spain, Marcelo Bielsa's side served up a shock with Fernando Llorente and Oscar De Marcos both netting in that one.