Manchester United confirmed our place in the Europa League final with a 7-1 aggregate victory against Athletic Club, winning 4-1 on the night.
Action elsewhere confirmed that we’ll be facing fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao later this month.
A raucous atmosphere provoked a tough battle on the pitch in the first half, but there were few opportunities for either side, a well-struck, curled finish from Mikel Jauregizar the only thing separating the sides as they went in for the break.
But the Reds emphatically sealed a date with destiny on 21 May with second-half goals from Mason Mount (2), Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund. On to Bilbao!
FIRST HALF – WARNING SHOT
Following the success of our first-ever tifo at Old Trafford in the last round against Lyon – and the history made over the course of the following two hours – another design was draped from the top of the Sir Alex Ferguson against a backdrop of pyrotechnics, this time reading, ‘Take Me Home, United Road’, before we heard a chorus of the song itself echo around the stadium.
It was a reminder, if one were needed, that nobody inside the Theatre of Dreams felt the job was already done before kick-off, despite our assured 3-0 victory on the continent last week. The second leg was being treated with the seriousness it demanded.
Knowing our position in the tie, the Reds were willing to be patient and controlled from the off; epitomised by Harry Maguire – scorer of that winner against Lyon – putting his foot on the ball on the halfway line to take stock of his options in only the second minute.
Aside from a couple of misplaced curled efforts from Alex Berenguer for the visitors, few clear-cut chances were carved out in the opening 20 minutes, thanks in part to some inspired defensive work from the likes of Leny Yoro and Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, the latter also looking electric on the break on a number of occasions.
The Dane appeared to be dragged down in the box by Andoni Gorosabel on one of his ventures forward, with more than a few asking the question inside the ground, but it was waved away. A lengthy VAR check, unfortunately, failed to overturn the on-field decision, even though Dorgu appeared to be clearly clipped.
And then, from almost nothing, our opponents struck.
Alvaro Djalo seized a loose Maguire clearance and saw his strike blocked by Yoro, but Jauregizar picked up the second ball and hit an effort sweetly into Andre Onana's top-left corner from distance with accuracy and power that left our keeper unable to prevent it from entering the net.
A huge Alejandro Garnacho chance aside – dinking a finish just wide of the post after breaking free thanks to a Dorgu pass – the remainder of the half passed without major incident.
Nevertheless, Athletic Club’s goal was a warning shot that this meeting was going to be far from a gentle evening stroll.
SECOND HALF – ON TO THE FINAL
It would have been easy for the nerves to get the better of the Reds both on the pitch and in the stands, but there wasn’t a hint of it.
Los Leones, their tails up after reducing their arrears, piled on the pressure on the other side of the interval, but the hour mark came and went without a notable effort to record, our supporters still as deafeningly loud as the first minute.
But there was no doubting Athletic Club were in the driving seat in terms of possession and impetus, if not the tie, and Ruben Amorim wanted to wrestle back some semblance of control, introducing Luke Shaw, Mount and Amad.
Shaw and Amad had an almost instantaneous impact, their added energy giving United a new route out of defence on either flank. They were both involved as United levelled on the evening, but it was the third substitute, Mount, who applied the finishing touch.
Profiting from a smart lurch into the opponents’ box from Yoro, our no.7 received the Frenchman’s short pass, spun and tucked it perfectly into the bottom corner.
It was a carbon copy of a goal we’ve seen at the Stretford End before from Federico Macheda and Kobbie Mainoo; it was an intervention we certainly needed here.
Any edge the game had was softened with the stroke of Mount’s boot, but it completely dissipated less than 10 minutes later when Casemiro got enough on a whipped Bruno Fernandes free-kick to send it looping over Julen Agirrezabala and into the back of the net.
Amorim’s changes had turned the game on its head; the Reds were in dreamland, now racing forward at any opportunity, creating waves of attacks.
Amad haed to the byline with moments of regular time left, almost running out of pitch, before threading a pass through to Hojlund to tap in for United’s third on the night; the sixth of the tie.
A poor clearance from Agirrezabala gave Mount the opportunity to end the in the most perfect way: a faded shot from just inside the visitors’ half to add the Reds’ fourth, the midfielder smiling wryly at the events that had unfolded in the second half.
'United Road' rang out at Old Trafford once more, the road to Bilbao: completed - with one last big task to come on 21 May.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Onana; Lindelof (Amass 81), Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui (Shaw 62), Casemiro (Mainoo 81), Ugarte (Mount 62), Dorgu; Garnacho (Amad 63), Fernandes (c); Hojlund.
Substitutes not used: Bayindir, Heaton, Fredricson, Kamason, Eriksen, Mantato.
Goals: Mount 72, 90+1, Casemiro 80, Hojlund 85.
Bookings: Mazraoui, Casemiro, Dorgu.
Athletic Club: Agirrezabala; Gorosabel (De Marcos 62), Yeray (c), Unai Nunez, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta (Prados 62 (Vesga 73)), Jauregizar; Djalo (Olabarrieta 62), Unai Gomez (Guruzeta 67), Berenguer; Sannadi.
Substitutes not used: Simon, Boiro, Lekue, Paredes, Canales, Rego, Varela.
Goals: Jauregizar 31.
Bookings: Jauregizar, Unai Nunez, Berenguer, Sammadi.