Europa League
2025-05-08 - Manchester Utd vs Ath Bilbao
A Sports Betting Pick by Gladiator
Football: UEFA Europa League - 1/2 Finals
Old Trafford (Manchester), England
Thursday, 8th May 2025 - Kick Off 21:00 CET
Manchester Utd
Manchester United return to Old Trafford with a commanding 3-0 aggregate lead after a dominant first-leg display in Bilbao. Ruben Amorim’s side, unbeaten in this season’s UEFA Europa League, now look odds-on to reach the final, which, ironically, will be played at the same stadium they just conquered. Despite their advantage, United’s inconsistency raises eyebrows, especially after a chaotic 4-3 Premier League defeat to Brentford over the weekend.
Defensive lapses have been a recurring theme, and even with one foot already in the final, the Red Devils will be wary of taking their foot off the gas. Encouragingly, they’ve progressed on all 20 previous occasions in UEFA competition when winning the first leg away from home. However, with all five historical encounters against Athletic seeing at least three goals, another open contest is not out of the question.
Ath Bilbao
Athletic Club face a mountain to climb in Manchester, not only in terms of the scoreline but also in terms of personnel. Ernesto Valverde’s side are without attacking trio Nico Williams, Iñaki Williams, and Oihan Sancet, severely limiting their ability to mount a dramatic comeback. Their morale wasn’t helped by a goalless draw in the Basque derby against Real Sociedad, which further highlighted their offensive struggles.
With just one win in their last nine away games against English opposition, the omens are far from favourable. That said, their lone win in that run did come at Old Trafford back in 2012, also in a Europa League tie, so the venue isn’t entirely devoid of fond memories. Still, the Spanish outfit’s best hope may be to restore some pride and avoid losing both legs of a UEFA tie for only the third time in their history.
The Betting Verdict
Manchester United’s defensive vulnerabilities, combined with Athletic’s desperation to restore respectabilit,y could open the door to goals at both ends. Even with key attackers missing, the visitors will need to push forward, while United have consistently conceded despite dominating ties. That sets up a scenario where both teams finding the net feels highly probable.
The Pick :
Manchester Utd 1-1 Ath Bilbao
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
Take Both Teams to Score: Yes at odds of 1.80 with Bet365
