“Trust me Man United can’t beat Athletic Bilbao unless Ruben Amorim change those two things”: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick names TWO things Man United must change if they really want to beat Athletic Bilbao
Manchester United’s season is all or nothing in the Europa League, with the upcoming semi-final clash another season decider.
Breaths have barely been caught after Thursday night’s insane 5-4 victory over Lyon at Old Trafford, which secured a spot in the semi-final with a 7-6 aggregate triumph.
It was a night which will go down in the history books for Manchester United, with the comeback at the very death of extra time, unprecedented.
United became the first team to ever score two 120th-minute or later goals in a major European competition, which highlights how unique and unbelievable this achievement was.
Now, United await the 1st of May, which is when Ruben Amorim takes his side to Bilbao – for hopefully the first of two times this season – for the first leg of the semi-final.
With this game being so important, Amorim has admitted he will be taking risks with his Premier League line-ups in order to save players for Europe and avoid injuries.
For Bilbao, it may already be too late for this as their main man picks up an injury.
Nico Williams suffers a groin injury for Athletic Bilbao ahead of Manchester United clash
If there was one player Athletic Bilbao would not have wanted to be without for the United clash, it would be their talisman and star player, Nico Williams.
Williams is one of the most exciting talents in football, and he would be the biggest threat to United’s chances of progressing to the final, but now he has been handed an injury setback.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, Williams is out of the Bilbao squad to face Real Madrid. The winger has suffered a groin injury, the report explains, with initial discomfort requiring him to be rested this weekend.
The club are hoping it is not serious and rest will sort the problem, but already there is a chance he will miss next weekend’s game against Las Palmas, as he will only play if there is no risk that he could aggravate the injury.
Bilbao’s priority is the clash with United, so they will sacrifice Williams in La Liga if it means he can play in the Europa League.
There is a chance he misses the United game as the club remains unsure whether he will return for the tie just yet, as they are keen to avoid making it worse.
From a United perspective, facing a Williams-less Bilbao does make things easier, but it is also disappointing as Amorim would surely rather face a full-strength opponent.
Nico Williams is having a superb season for Bilbao
One of Europe’s most sought-after talents, Williams has taken another step up in his development this season and has scored 11 goals and made seven assists this season.
Most recently, he scored a goal against Rangers to seal Bilbao’s semi-final spot.
His numbers this season are far from perfect, but his performances are deserving of more, with 39 chances created in La Liga alone, which is in the 88th percentile.
Williams ranks in the 96th percentile for dribbles completed in La Liga, which demonstrates that he is going to be a real threat if he is able to play the tie.
But for now, it looks like it will be tough and go for Williams and Bilbao.
