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Athletic Club vs Manchester United facts

Previous meetings, form guides, links and trivia ahead of the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg.

Athletic Club celebrate their Europa League round of 16 success against Manchester United in 2012
Athletic Club celebrate their Europa League round of 16 success against Manchester United in 2012 Getty Images

Athletic Club and Manchester United meet at Estadio de San Mamés in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final, both hoping to return to Bilbao for the final on 21 May.

The Spanish side have won six out of six at their home ground in this season's competition, scoring 14 goals and conceding just two. A 2-0 second-leg victory against Rangers in the quarter-final sealed an aggregate win by the same scoreline and moved Ernesto Valverde's side a step closer to a showpiece final in their own stadium.

Manchester United are in an 18th European semi-final following a remarkable comeback victory against Lyon in their quarter-final. A 2-2 draw in France preceded the first Europa League game to feature nine goals, United slipping from 2-0 up to 2-4 down against ten-man Lyon, but goals in the final six minutes of extra time at Old Trafford from Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire sealed a memorable 5-4 victory and a 7-6 aggregate triumph for the hosts.

Previous meetings 

Athletic Club wins 3
Manchester United wins 1
Draws 0
Athletic Club goals 10
Manchester United goals 9

1956/57 European Cup quarter-finals
Athletic Club 5-3 Manchester United
Manchester United 3-0 Athletic Club
A second-leg victory overturned United's first-leg defeat to qualify for the semi-finals. United's home match was played at Manchester City's Maine Road ground due to a lack of floodlights at Old Trafford.

2011/12 Europa League round of 16
Manchester United 2-3 Athletic Club
Athletic Club 2-1 Manchester United
Athletic were 5-3 aggregate victors, second-half goals from Fernando Llorente and Óscar de Marcos helping the Spanish team win at Old Trafford before a home victory sealed their progress.

Form guide

Athletic Club

Record vs English clubs: W5 D4 L7 F21 A26
Home record vs English clubs: W4 D3 L1

Athletic's 2012 meetings with United is the last time they faced English opposition.

Their only defeat in eight previous home games against teams from England was 0-1 against Liverpool in the second leg of the 1983/84 European Cup second round which sealed an aggregate loss by the same scoreline.

Athletic – who are appearing in UEFA competition for the first time in six years – finished second in the league phase (W6 D1 L1) to set up a round of 16 tie against 2023 runners-up Roma. After a 2-1 loss in Italy, the Spanish side triumphed 3-1 in Bilbao thanks to two goals from Nico Williams and one from Yuri Berchiche to progress 4-3 on aggregate.

Their quarter-final success against Rangers means the Basque club have reached a UEFA competition semi-final for a third time. They have won each of their previous two, beating Molenbeek on away goals in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup following a 1-1 aggregate draw and Sporting Clube de Portugal 4-3 on aggregate (1-2 a, 3-1 h) in the 2011/12 Europa League.

The 2012 Europa League runners-up have won nine of their last 12 two-legged European ties.

Valverde's team have won eight of their 12 Europa League matches (D2 L2) this season, including all six at home.

Athletic have kept four clean sheets in six Europa League home games this season.

The Lions have scored 11 goals in their last four home Europa League matches, while Nico Williams has four in three European games in his own stadium.

The Bilbao club finished fifth in La Liga last season, their best league position in eight years, and ended a 40-year wait for silverware with a penalty shoot-out victory against Mallorca in the final of the Copa del Rey.

Manchester United

Record vs Spanish clubs: W23 D28 L25 F96 A96
Away record vs Spanish clubs: W8 D14 L13

United have lost just once on their last nine visits to Spain (W5 D3) having managed one win in the previous ten (D3 L6).

Their last European semi-final against Spanish opposition was in this competition in 2019/20 when they lost 1-2 to Sevilla in a one-off tie in Cologne.

The English side finished third in the league phase with five wins and three defeats, making them the only team to remain unbeaten. That led them to a round of 16 tie against Real Sociedad, a 1-1 draw in Spain followed by a 4-1 home victory in which Fernandes scored a hat-trick.

United's quarter-final with Lyon was their 28th in UEFA competition, a new English record; they previously shared the mark with Liverpool. This is their 18th semi-final appearance; they have won eight and lost nine of the previous 17 ties.

This is their fourth appearance in the semi-finals of the Europa League; they have won two and lost one of their previous three. They never featured in the final four of the UEFA Cup.

The Manchester club have won 14 of their last 15 two-legged ties in the Europa League, the exception a 2-5 aggregate quarter-final loss to eventual winners Sevilla two seasons ago.

United have lost just one of their last 23 Europa League matches (W15 D7) and are the only team that remain unbeaten in this season's competition with seven wins and five draws from their 12 games.

Only one of the Red Devils' last 63 European games have finished goalless.

Fernandes has scored 25 goals in the Europa League, more than any other Portuguese player.

United parted ways with manager Erik ten Hag at the end of October, replacing him with Ruben Amorim on a contract until June 2027.

Links and trivia 

Athletic defender Óscar De Marcos is the only player from either side who featured when these sides met in the 2011/12 Europa League round of 16. The 36-year-old scored in both legs of Athletic's 5-3 aggregate victory.

Casemiro played in Spain with Real Madrid for ten seasons. He played 14 times against Athletic, scoring once.

Born in Madrid, Alejandro Garnacho came through the youth ranks at Getafe (up to 2015) and Atlético de Madrid (2015–20) before joining United in 2021.

André Onana spent his youth career at Barcelona (2010–15, having loan spells at lower-league sides Cornellà (2012/13) and Vista Alegre (2013/14) before joining Ajax in 2015.

Has played in England:
Yuri Berchiche (Tottenham Hotspur, 2007–10, Cheltenham Town, 2009 loan)