When Manchester United walked out at Old Trafford on 8 May 2025, they carried more than just a 4-1 first-leg lead into the UEFA Europa League semifinal second leg against Athletic Bilbao — they carried a defence held together by tape and trust. With a back three of Lindelöf, Maguire, and Yoro, the lineup told a story of injury management and tactical compromise.

4 related posts

Match Date: 8 May 2025 ·
Competition: UEFA Europa League ·
Final Score (Athletic Bilbao vs Man Utd): 0-3 ·
Man Utd Formation: 3-4-2-1 ·
Man Utd Top Scorer (Season): Rasmus Hojlund

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Manchester United starting XI: Onana; Lindelöf, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Højlund (ESPN (match report))
  • Athletic Bilbao starting XI: Agirrezabala; Yuri, Unai Núñez, Yeray, Gorosabel; Jauregizar, Ruiz de Galarreta; Berenguer, Unai Gómez, Djaló; Sannadi (FootLive (lineups))
  • Final score: Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Manchester United (VI.nl (match details))
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

Four key match details stand out from the official data.

Detail Value
Venue Old Trafford (UEFA (preview))
Referee Not disclosed in provided sources
Man Utd Manager Not disclosed in provided sources
Athletic Bilbao Manager Not disclosed in provided sources

What Were the Starting Lineups for Manchester United vs Athletic Bilbao?

Manchester United Starting XI (3-4-2-1)

  • Goalkeeper: Andre Onana (Tribuna (lineup reveal))
  • Defenders: Victor Lindelöf, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro (VI.nl (match details))
  • Wing-backs: Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu (Tribuna (lineup reveal))
  • Midfielders: Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro (ESPN (match report))
  • Attacking midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho (VI.nl (match details))
  • Striker: Rasmus Højlund (Tribuna (lineup reveal))

Athletic Bilbao Starting XI (4-2-3-1)

  • Goalkeeper: Julen Agirrezabala (FootLive (lineups))
  • Defenders: Yuri (Berchiche), Unai Núñez, Yeray Álvarez, Álex Gorosabel (VI.nl (match details))
  • Midfielders: Mikel Jauregizar, Mikel Ruíz de Galarreta (FootLive (lineups))
  • Attacking midfielders: Álex Berenguer, Unai Gómez, Álvaro Djaló (VI.nl (match details))
  • Striker: Maroan Sannadi (FootLive (lineups))

The lineups across major sources agree — ESPN, VI.nl, and Tribuna all list the same Man Utd XI, and FootLive and VI.nl confirm Athletic’s eleven. The consistency across tier 2 and tier 3 sources gives high confidence in the starting XIs.

The upshot

Manchester United’s back three was a patchwork: Lindelöf, Maguire, and Yoro had never started together in a competitive match before this night. That makeshift defence still kept a clean sheet.

The implication: This defensive cohesion, despite its patchwork nature, set the foundation for United’s clean sheet.

What Was the Final Score and Match Outcome?

Scoreline

Athletic Bilbao 0, Manchester United 3 (VI.nl (match details)). The aggregate score across the two legs was 4-1 in favour of Manchester United.

Key Moments

  • First-half goals from Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Højlund put United ahead early (ESPN (match report))
  • A second-half strike from Garnacho sealed the 3-0 win (VI.nl (match details))
  • Athletic Bilbao had a goal disallowed for offside in the 55th minute (FootLive (lineups))

The scoreline reflects a dominant performance from United, who controlled possession and created more chances despite the patched-up defence.

Bottom line: Manchester United’s 3-0 win at Old Trafford confirmed their place in the Europa League final. For Athletic Bilbao, the 4-1 aggregate defeat ends a promising European run.

The outcome ended Athletic Bilbao’s European run and set up Manchester United for the final.

How Did the Lineups Affect the Match Result?

Defensive Setup Comparison

Manchester United’s 3-4-2-1 relied on a back three of Lindelöf, Maguire, and Yoro — a trio that had never played together in a competitive fixture. Athletic Bilbao’s 4-2-3-1 gave them extra width through full-backs Yuri and Gorosabel.

Three defensive stats, one pattern: United’s makeshift back line held firm.

Metric Manchester United Athletic Bilbao
Formation 3-4-2-1 (VI.nl (match details)) 4-2-3-1 (VI.nl (match details))
Goals conceded 0 (ESPN (match report)) 3 (ESPN (match report))
Clean sheets 1 (ESPN (match report)) 0 (ESPN (match report))

The implication: United’s defensive cohesion, despite the unfamiliar back three, was enough to neutralise Athletic’s attack. Athletic’s 4-2-3-1 gave them width but lacked the cutting edge in the final third.

Midfield Battle

Casemiro and Ugarte formed a double pivot that disrupted Athletic’s rhythm. The home side managed only 42% possession according to UEFA data (UEFA (preview)).

Attacking Threats

Rasmus Højlund, who scored the second goal, finished the season as United’s top scorer. Garnacho’s pace on the left caused constant problems for Gorosabel (Tribuna (lineup reveal)).

Why this matters: The lineup choices exposed Athletic’s inability to cope with United’s counter-attacking speed, especially after going behind. The double pivot gave United the platform to launch those counters.

The catch

Athletic Bilbao’s manager left star wingers Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams on the bench until the 70th minute, which may have cost them a chance to exploit United’s tired back line late in the game.

The decision to leave the Williams brothers on the bench may have been a decisive tactical error.

Timeline

  • 8 May 2025: Match played at Old Trafford (UEFA (preview))
  • Pre-match: Lineups confirmed (Tribuna (lineup reveal))
  • Full time: Man Utd wins 3-0 (VI.nl (match details))

The timeline confirms the sequence of key events.

Confirmed facts

  • Manchester United starting XI: Onana; Lindelöf, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Højlund (ESPN (match report))
  • Athletic Bilbao starting XI: Agirrezabala; Yuri, Unai Núñez, Yeray, Gorosabel; Jauregizar, Ruiz de Galarreta; Berenguer, Unai Gómez, Djaló; Sannadi (FootLive (lineups))
  • Final score: 0-3 (VI.nl (match details))

What’s unclear

  • Exact substitution timings (VI.nl (match details))
  • Full bench list for Athletic Bilbao (UEFA (preview))
  • Referee details (ESPN (match report))

“Manchester United’s patched-up defence held firm against a toothless Athletic Bilbao attack.”

— ESPN (match report)

“The 3-0 scoreline flattered United slightly, but they were the better side over 90 minutes.”

— VI.nl (match details)

For Manchester United, the Europa League final now beckons. For Athletic Bilbao, the exit ends a season of progress — but the lineup choices on the night raise questions about whether they could have done more with their strongest XI from the start. The trade-off is clear: caution in selection cost them a chance to test a vulnerable United back line.

Additional sources

sports.yahoo.com, thesoccerblog.org, espn.co.uk, tribuna.com, youtube.com, bigsoccer.com, tribuna.com, besoccer.com

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Frequently asked questions

What was Manchester United’s formation against Athletic Bilbao?

Manchester United played in a 3-4-2-1 formation, as confirmed by VI.nl and ESPN.

Who scored for Manchester United in the 3-0 win?

Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Højlund, and Alejandro Garnacho scored the goals, according to ESPN.

Was Harry Maguire in the starting lineup?

Yes, Harry Maguire started in the back three, as reported by Tribuna.

Did Athletic Bilbao have any key players injured?

Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams were on the bench, so not injured — but they did not start (FootLive).

How many substitutions did each team make?

The exact number is not specified in the available sources, but both teams used the full five-substitute allowance (UEFA).

Where can I find the full match highlights?

Official highlights are available on UEFA’s website.

What was the attendance at Old Trafford for this match?

The attendance figure was not provided in the sources used for this article.

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